“Stay strong and dedicated to this great idea!”- In memoriam: Freimut Duve (1936-2020), First OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
VIENNA, 5 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir, and his two predecessors, Dunja Mijatović and Miklós Haraszti, today issued a joint statement in memory of the first OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve, who passed away last Tuesday.
“We, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir and the former Media Freedom Representatives Dunja Mijatović and Miklós Haraszti, pay tribute to the first OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve.
Freimut Duve was a German politician, human rights activist, writer and journalist. He was political editor at Stern magazine and chief editor of rororo-AKTUELL, Germany’s leading political pocketbook series, a part of Rowohlt publishing house. Duve won the Hannah Arendt Award for Political Thinking in 1997.
Freimut Duve served as the first OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media from 1998 through to 2003. It was his grand idea that lead to the establishment of the Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media, which he built from the ground up and made into a staunch advocate of freedom of expression.
Freimut Duve was an intellectual, a gentleman, a true humanitarian and a champion of media freedom. We will remember his legacy and his words, on the 20th Anniversary of the Representative on Freedom of the Media in 2017:
‘Twenty years ago and now, media freedom remains extremely important, and 20 years ago and now, there is no freedom without media freedom. Stay strong and dedicated to this great idea!’
We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family, friends and journalists around the world.
Harlem Désir, Dunja Mijatovic, Miklós Haraszti”.