An updated and expanded edition of the OSCE Safety of Journalists Guidebook, written by the AEJ’s special representative on media freedom William Horsley, can be accessed online in English and Russian here .
The Guidebook outlines States’ obligations towards journalists’ safety and media freedom arising from OSCE commitments as well as binding international law provisions. It provides detailed guidance to state authorities about good practices in legislation, law-enforcement and systems of justice that are essential to fulfil those obligations.
The updated version of the Guidebook was called for in response to the disturbing growth in cases of intimidation and repression of journalists and independent journalism across many parts of the OSCE area, which covers Eurasia and North America. The publication maps patterns of targeted violence against journalists and the growth of cultures of impunity that point to a serious weakening in standards of democracy and the rule of law in many places.
The Guidebook is also to be made available in book form, published by the Office of the OSCE
Representative on Freedom of the Media in Vienna — contact via [email protected] .