Crotia's minister of foreign affairs, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, reacts after being elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, on June 26, 2019. On March 31, 2020, CPJ and partner organizations called on the Council of Europe to protect press freedom amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (AFP/Patrick Hertzog)
Crotia's minister of foreign affairs, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, reacts after being elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, on June 26, 2019. On March 31, 2020, CPJ and partner organizations called on the Council of Europe to protect press freedom amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (AFP/Patrick Hertzog)

CPJ, partners call on Council of Europe to protect press freedom amid COVID-19 pandemic

On March 31, CPJ and nine partner organizations wrote to the Secretary General and the Committee of Ministers at the Council of Europe to express concern about government restrictions on the media during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The calls included asking officials to better collaborate with the Council of Europe Journalist Safety Platform, of which CPJ is a partner. This unique tool calls on governments to respond in writing to organizations’ press freedom concerns in Council of Europe Member States.

The text of the letter can be found here.