1. Freedom of expression, including media freedom, is a top priority for the European Union. Since HDIM took place in 2019, the EU has raised specific concerns for the freedom of expression and media freedom in inter alia the Russian Federation, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Freedom of expression must be respected both online and offline. This is crucial for our common security, and we congratulate the RFoM and her office on the 25th mandate anniversary with the theme No Security Without Media Freedom. In waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia has shown what can happen when there is no media freedom, when state-controlled media spread propaganda and disinformation, leaving citizens without this possibility of holding its government to account. As the RFoM points out, in 25 years we have never witnessed our media freedom commitments having been violated on such a scale. This makes her autonomous role and fearless voice all the more important. 2. The Moscow Mechanism reports concluded that journalists and other media actors have been killed, abducted, injured, and tortured by the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine. The RFoM also highlights the disappearance, detention and abduction of journalists or their relatives, including Iryna Dubchenko, Dmitro Khiliuk, Oleksandr Gunko, Victoria Roshchina, Oleh Baturyn, Yevgeniya Boryan, Yuliya Olkhovskaya, Lyubov Chaika and Svetlana Zalizetskaya. By reporting from the front lines and shedding light on the gross violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including those that may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity committed by the Russian Armed Forces, journalists and other media actors importantly contribute to counter disinformation and information manipulation surrounding the invasion. Those responsible must and will be held accountable. 3. Russia’s external aggression is mirrored by internal repression. The draconian measures, including those of sentences of up to 15 years in prison for telling the truth about the war, have suffocated the last remainders of independent journalism, such as Novaya Gazeta, Meduza, Dozhd, Radio Ekho Moskvy and New Times. It’s commendable that some of these media continue their work in exile. The Moscow Mechanism report has concluded that there now is a “state monopoly on information in the Russian Federation”. We are deeply concerned about the accelerated internal repression restricting fundamental freedoms of Russian citizens, including against the journalists Andrei Zayakin, Ivan Safronov, Alexandra Bayasitova, Mikhail Afanasyev and Sergei Mikhailov. 4. In Belarus, journalists continue to be sentenced, arrested or detained for doing their work. We echo the RFoM’s calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained journalists and condemnation of the authorities for the sentencing of Aleh Hruzdzilovich, Aliaksandr Ivulin, Igor Losik, Yahor Marsinovich, Eduard Palchys, Andrey Skurko, Vladimir Tsyganovich, Irina Slaunikova, and for pressing new criminal charges of high treason against Katerina Andreyeva. 5. We echo RFoM’s concerns regarding freedom of expression and media freedom in Turkey, where more than 200 journalists and media actors have been imprisoned in the past 5 years. We are also deeply concerned about the forced closure of more than 150 media outlets. 6. We reiterate our deep concern about the growing number of imprisoned journalists and media actors in Azerbaijan.

7. We urge participating States to enable rather than restrain independent voices needed for our democracies and to engage constructively with the RFoM and make use of her expertise and recommendations.

The Candidate Countries REPUBLIC of NORTH MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, and ALBANIA*, the EFTA countries ICELAND and LIECHTENSTEIN, members of the European Economic Area, as well as ANDORRA and SAN MARINO align themselves with this statement.

* Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.