European press publishers call for action to defend core European values in Protasevich case
A dictator on our continent imprisons journalists and crushes freedoms.By hijacking a European airline flight between two EU capitals to capture an opposition journalist, the Bielorusia regime has committed a brutal attack on the fundamental value of democracy, shared by all Europeans, freedom of expression and against freedom of the press.
We strongly condemn this criminal act against a freedom recognised to every citizen in any constitution of a democratic country.
We call on the leaders of the European Union to show the utmost firmness towards a regime that does not hesitate to resort to piracy to jeopardise essential freedoms, even outside its borders.
We call on all publishers of the European press, in all its forms, and on all journalists working in Europe to mobilise to defend freedom of expression and freedom of the press together.
The kidnapping and disgraceful treatment of a journalist threatens us all, in solidarity with Roman Protasevich, whose immediate release we demand.
