Vienna, 28/04/2017
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) criticized the alleged stipulations demanded by Russia regarding journalistic reporting during the World Cup warm-up tournament – Confederations Cup, which is to be held this summer in several cities in the country.
German daily Bild stated that it will boycott the event if journalists aren’t allowed to report freely, after guidelines issued by Russian authorities specify that journalists can cover solely “FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and related events”, limiting them to the “territory of host cities and cultural sites nearby”. Reporting about events unrelated to the Cup or in other territories is said to require a separate visa, and that condition is not included in the guidelines for broadcasters with approved accreditations.
SEEMO is concerned regarding restrictive policies of Russian authorities towards journalists and ask that no restraints are put upon them and their work. We call on institutions in the country and FIFA to allow all media workers democratic, professional and free conditions in order to carry out their reporting ethically.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe.