Declaration aims to protect press freedoms

GENEVA, Switzerland, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- An international declaration released in Greece calls on governments around the world to avoid legislation that restricts press freedoms to report on extremism.

A meeting that included the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Organization of American States and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights was recently held in Athens.

The attendees at the meeting released a joint declaration Monday that defines terrorism and calls for limiting legislation that would restrict the freedom of the press to report on terrorism and extremism, the OSCE reported.

The declaration defined terrorism as restricted to "violent crimes which inflict terror on the public" as a way to avoid the criminalization of journalists who report on terrorism or extremism and are then viewed as complicit in supporting extremist ideology.

The declaration also called on governments around the world to restrict legislation on defaming religions, saying such legislation is out of line with international standards and largely results in restrictions on freedom of expression.

"This year's joint declaration may be of important assistance to the authorities of Belarus and Russia, which have used their anti-extremism legislation to punish independent journalists and dissenters," Miklos Haraszti, OSCE representative on freedom of the media, said in a statement.