Ambassador Neil Holland on Thursday called for the immediate release of all journalists and media workers held by Russia. He delivered the statement to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office published a transcript the same day.

Holland said at least 26 Ukrainian journalists remain in Russian captivity, many convicted on fabricated charges. He said United Nations and ODIHR reporting documents killings, injuries, arbitrary detention and other serious violations against journalists during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. That reporting also documents sustained attacks on civilian infrastructure essential to independent media, according to the statement.

He said attacks against journalists must be investigated and those responsible held to account, as states mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. Holland said the United Kingdom fully agrees that media freedom is a necessary condition for peace and security, “not a peripheral or second-order issue.”

He described systematic repression inside both Russia and Belarus that seeks to silence dissenting voices, criminalize journalism and shut down independent media. He said that repression hollows out domestic accountability, distorts the information environment, undermines regional security and stands in direct contradiction to shared OSCE commitments.

Holland said the United Kingdom remains concerned by democratic backsliding in Georgia. He condemned politically motivated detentions, including that of Mzia Amaglobeli, and called for the immediate release of those detained. He said Georgia should reverse repressive legislation and engage constructively with the recommendations of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism rapporteur on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms.

He said the United Kingdom will not tolerate foreign states targeting critics, including journalists, on British soil, and that journalists in exile must be able to work safely. At home, he said, the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists brings together government, journalists, policing, prosecution services and civil society. The committee strengthens protection of journalists and oversees implementation of a National Action Plan for their safety.

Holland said that as 2026 co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition, alongside Finland, the United Kingdom will continue to champion independent, pluralistic media. That includes addressing threats to women journalists, supporting sustainable public-interest media and confronting emerging risks from artificial intelligence.

He urged participating States to cooperate, heed recommendations and uphold the 2018 Milan Decision on the Safety of Journalists. He said governments cannot meet these challenges alone and must use the OSCE’s institutions and mechanisms and uphold commitments to free expression and independent media. “When independent voices are silenced, disinformation spreads, corruption flourishes and our societies become less secure,” he said.

Holland thanked the OSCE representative, whom he addressed as Jan, and the representative’s team. He said the United Kingdom looks forward to working closely with the office to advance media freedom and the shared security of the OSCE region. He said the United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom and is a strong supporter of the representative’s mandate.