OSCE to create mission to protect rights of journalists in Crimea

The Office of OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović has decided to create a special mission to protect the rights of journalists in Crimea.

The corresponding decision was approved by the Office during the meeting with journalists’ organizations in Vienna. It was preliminary agreed that international media organizations would be invited to the mission.

Dunja Mijatovic noted she did not want to create the mission for the sake of a mission. Her purpose is to establish an institution that would be able to collect relevant information.

“The very fact of this decision is not a victory. It is just the beginning of the process. The mission is a tool that can be used effectively or fail. In order not to fail, you have to involve in the process the Crimean journalists living in Kyiv, in particular,” Head of the Ukrainian Media Trade Union Yuriy Lukanov said.

Acting Chairman of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine Serhiy Tomilenko noted that establishment of the mission was the first step to protect the journalists in Crimea.

“If we are persistent and professional, we will reach our goal,” he stressed.

The OSCE Representative also announced that she was going to pay visit to Kyiv in July to hold a meeting with the public.