Italian MP: We mustn't be silent if journalists are imprisoned in Europe

Deborah Bergamini, a deputy of the Italian Parliament and the chairman of the PACE subcommittee on media condemned the harassment of journalists.

“As the media have developed from Gutenberg's printing press to the internet in a globalised information society, universal human rights such as media freedom have become part of a universal culture embedded in the hearts and minds of people all around the world. Nevertheless, today we witness continuous violations of media freedom - from brutal attacks on critical journalists to blunt censorship of the internet," said Deborah Bergamini (Italy, EPP/CD), the Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Media and Information Society of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), speaking on the eve of World Press Freedom Day 2012 (3 May).

"This day is a reminder for all of us that we must not be silent if journalists are killed, beaten or imprisoned in Europe because of their desire to inform the public. We cannot look away if legislation or business practices restrict access to information as protected under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Parliamentary scrutiny of the state of media freedom and respect for human rights is a continuous task. Therefore, I invite all stakeholders to work together with the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in this vitally important exercise," Ms Bergamini concluded.

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