Marija Pejcinovic Buric is seen after being elected as Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, on June 26, 2019. CPJ and other organizations recently sent a letter to Pejcinovic Buric, urging her to prioritize press freedom issues. (AFP/Patrick Hertzog)
Marija Pejcinovic Buric is seen after being elected as Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, on June 26, 2019. CPJ and other organizations recently sent a letter to Pejcinovic Buric, urging her to prioritize press freedom issues. (AFP/Patrick Hertzog)

CPJ joins call for new Council of Europe head to prioritize press freedom

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 21 other press freedom and freedom of expression organizations in sending an open letter to Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric yesterday, calling on her to prioritize press freedom and the safety of journalists among the council’s 47 member states.

CPJ is a member of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, created to hold member states accountable for press freedom violations.

The letter, which was sent on Pejcinovic Buric’s first day in office, expressed particular concern over the media freedom environments in Azerbaijan, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Turkey, and Russia. The letter also asked Pejcinovic Buric to establish a monthly exchange among member states, where members could discuss the progress they had made in dealing with press freedom and journalist safety issues.

CPJ and the letter’s co-signers requested a meeting with Pejcinovic Buric to discuss press freedom issues soon.

The full text of the letter is here.