MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic called on Kiev authorities on Friday to hold back from the legislation limiting the free flow of information and media freedom in the country.
"Even under the state of hostilities democratic countries have a responsibility to carefully address the potentially problematic content, for example through the use of appropriate judicial mechanisms, in order to avoid overbroad steps and introduction of censorship-like provisions… Ukraine’s current significant progress in the area of media freedom should be preserved and enhanced, not undermined," Mijatovic said in a statement published on the website of the OSCE.
The freedom of media in Ukraine has been repeatedly violated since the start of the military confrontation between Kiev forces and Donbas independence supporters in April 2014. Several international journalists have been abducted, tortured and killed during the hostilities, while country's authorities have imposed restrictions on the activities of several foreign media in the country, as well as banned several films.
