International Organizations Criticize Austria for Restricting the Press Uncover Cases of Grievance

PoliticsDomestic ♦ Published: December 23, 2015; 16:00 ♦ (Vindobona)

Courts should take public interest into account in cases against journalists, say representatives of OSCE and Austrian Forum Informationsfreiheit, following Dossier trespassing case in the province of Burgenland.

International organizations criticize Austria for restricting the press uncover cases of grievance / Picture: © Wikipedia / Djuradj Vujcic

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said that a recent court ruling in Austria, ordering an online news portal to pay 2,000 Euros to the landlord of an asylum centre for trespassing, can affect the media’s ability to cover events of high public interest.

“Journalists must be allowed to report on issues of public importance without undue…