19 December 2003
OSCE ANNOUNCES NEW LEGAL ASSISTANCE FUND FOR JOURNALISTS
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has launched a new fund to assist journalists facing legal harassment in Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Veronica Guerin Legal Defence Fund will provide support for journalists who are being prosecuted for their reporting and are in need of legal assistance.
Many journalists who cover corruption and organised crime face not only physical danger but also the constant threat of legal harassment and incarceration, says the OSCE's Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve. Very few investigative reporters who work for independent media have the financial resources to secure legal representation and adequately defend themselves in court.
Named after the "Sunday Independent" journalist assassinated in 1996 for investigating organised crime in Ireland, the fund will seek to address this need by providing appropriate legal defence for journalists. Funding will come from voluntary donations by OSCE member countries, human rights organisations and individuals. The office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media will administer the fund and rely on OSCE field offices and respected non-governmental organisations for the recommendation of candidates.
For more information, contact: pm-fm@osce.org
Other press-freedom organisations, including IFEX members, provide assistance to journalists in need. Visit: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/426/
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