The Alliance of Independent Press Council in Europe (AIPCE) has expelled the Russian “Public Board of Complaints against the Press.” This was reported to Detector Media by member of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics Oleksii Pohorielov.
He pointed out that even though this “board” claims to be an independent civil society institution, it is actually a propagandist mouthpiece of the Kremlin. In particular, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, it has not made a single decision or statement regarding Russian disinformation narratives or the war overall.
Pohorielov reminded that back in April 2022, the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, which was a member of the AIPCE at the time, urged to exclude the Russian “Public Board for Complaints against the Press” and its representatives from the Alliance of Independent Press Council in Europe due to inaction regarding many years of lies, manipulation, and incitement of hate speech in the Russian media in relation to Ukraine.
On October 2022, AIPCE considered the statement of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics regarding the exclusion of the Russian “Board” at a general meeting. However, the secret vote did not yield a positive result.
Back then, in protest against the Russians remaining in the Alliance, the Commission announced its withdrawal. “The Commission on Journalistic Ethics announces the complete termination of its membership in the Alliance of Independent Press Council in Europe (AIPCE). The participation of Russia in this organization calls into question its ability to meet its declared goals and contradicts the values of ethical journalism that guide us,” reported the Commission at the time.
As a sign of solidarity with Ukrainian media representatives, participants from nine other countries suspended their membership in AIPCE.
“Back then, together with colleagues from these countries, we expressed our distrust in the coordination committee of the Alliance and made the demand that the new composition of the committee should include both those who remained in the AIPCE and those who suspended their membership. This was our second demand after the demand to exclude Russia. Now, they are both fulfilled. That’s why I put the issue of the Commission’s return to the organization to the vote. After the decision is made, we will arrange further steps,” told Pohorielov, chair of the all-Ukraine NGO Commission on Journalistic Ethics, to Detector Media.
According to him, the Commission aimed to strengthen the Alliance rather than weaken it. Since the Alliance was unable to make a decision to exclude Russia, which has neither freedom of speech nor self-regulation of the media, it was losing its impact. Now that this decision has been made, it would make sense to strengthen the AIPCE by bringing back Ukraine and other countries that suspended their membership, thinks Pohorielov.
“Since the first part of our plan worked, I hope so will the second one,” he said.
AIPCE is a network of independent Press and Media Councils in Europe to enhance cooperation and exchange of information.
In addition to Ukraine, which left the Alliance, and Russia, which has now been excluded from it, the organization includes 26 countries: Austria, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Ireland, Montenegro, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey. Armenia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Moldova, Norway, and Sweden suspended their membership.