OSCE concerned about Kiev's sanctions against media

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro reiterated her concern regarding Ukraine’s practice of applying sanctions against media outlets.

Ribeiro’s comments follow the decision to impose five-year sanctions against several legal entities, resulting in the effective banning of access to the television channel Nash.

"I want to underline once more that media freedom is dependent on a healthy, vibrant and competitive landscape, including voices that provide a variety of views," Ribeiro said. "Any sanctions on media should be applied with restraint and should be subject to careful scrutiny, accompanied by effective procedural safeguards to prevent undue interference."

The Representative drew attention to the participating States’ longstanding commitments regarding the OSCE’s human dimension as well as their international obligations.

"Freedom of expression and media freedom should never serve as a carte blanche for propaganda for war and illegal ‘hate speech’: it is universally recognized that it is not an absolute right," Ribeiro stated. "At the same time, it cannot be overemphasized that these freedoms constitute one of the essential foundations of any democratic society. To be justified, restrictions must always meet a high barrier, and should always be under the scrutiny of a functioning, independent court system."