CoE-SG Jagland to EuroFora on Islamic Terror's Charlie-Hebdo massacre: Save Journalists+Human Rights

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- CoE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland, speaking to "EuroFora" while French Authorities were still searching to find and punish those responsible for the cold-Blood Murder of 12 Persons after this week's Attack, by Extremist Islamist Terrorists, against a Critical French Media in Paris, stressed the Need to Protect Journalists anjd other People in Danger from such Horrible Crimes, and to do so according to the Rule of Law, respecting Human Rights :

    He was Questioned by "EuroFora" on all CoE's Member States' obligation, according also to ECHR's case-law in this regard, as well as possible "Initiatives" by the PanEuropean Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law itself, in order to "Better Protect" Freedom of Speech and Press Freedom.

     - "Of course", jagland Replied positively to our question from the start.

    - Indeed,  "I think that it's Important", CoE's Head stressed Today.

    - In particular, we should all "do Everything that we can, in order to Protect" the People threatened to become Victims of Attacks for speaking out, added Jagland widely.

     - This goes both for "Journalists and (for) the Public at large", particularly as far as it concerns also Freedom of Expression, he observed, Topicaly enlarging the scope further, at a moment when the first rumours about possible "Hostage-taking" by the Armed Extremist Islamist Terrorists and/or their Accomplices on the run, pursued by French Police, had just started to circulate.

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    + But, "then, we have to do that within the Limits of the Law, and safeguard Freedom of Expression", Warned the experienced former Minister, Prime Minister and recently Re-Elected CoE's Secretary General, who has already started to serve his 2nd Mandate for the period of 2015-2019, after having fulfilled his 1st, 2009-2014 Mandate period.

    - For that purpose, Jagland is ready to "Cooperate with the EU on this" point, he agreed with "EuroFora", in line also with New EU Commission's President, former long-time Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, who has notoriously wrote a landmark Report on EU - CoE respective roles, (in a 2008-2009 reply to an Official Demand by the PanEuropean Organization's Heads of State/Government's Summit of Warsaw in 2005 : Comp. "EuroFora" co-Founder's NewsReports from that Historic Warsaw CoE Summit, published at "TCWeekly" etc), focusing, precisely, on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law.

    Such a perspective became Today very Timely, particularly since the experienced French Minister of the Interior, former Minister for EU affairs, Bernard Cazeneuve, (Comp. various Cazeneuve's Statements to "EuroFora" in the recent past), has already decided to invite to Paris, for a Meeting on Sunday, Jan. 12, many of his collegues at the head of the Ministries of Justice and Home Affairs, including US Attorney General Eric Holder, etc.

    A fortiori when, meanwhile, the New EU Council's President, former Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, has,  reportedly, just anounced his intention to bring to the attention of all EU Heads of State/Government the controversial issue of Air Travel Passengers' Personal Data's exchange, (f.ex. with the USA, during the present Negotiations for the creation of an EU - USA Trade Area Treaty, due to be finalized "before the End of 2015").

    Tusk intends to bring such matters to the attention of EU Heads of State/Government's forthcoming Summit in Brussels, scheduled for February 12.

    - Meanwhile, PanEuroepan CoE's Commissioner for Human Rights, Muijniecks, (who represents a "Key" Institution for EU - CoE Cooperation, according to the above-mentioned Juncker's Report), speaking to "EuroFora", anounced his intention to Speak on such Topical Issues, including also Ukraine developments, etc., at CoE's Parliamentary Assembly's plenary session in Strasbourg at the End of January 2015.

    Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair had also used the emotion provoked by the 2 series of Deadly Bombings against Simple People at London's Subway during the 2005 UK Chairmanship of the EU, in order to overcome mainly EU Parliament's reluctance to accept a set of far-reaching  and controversial Measures affecting particularly Internet and Phone users' Personal/Private Data, which show the usefulness of the the above-mentioned CoE Chief's Warning on the Rule of Law. It' also to Hope that the People most exposed to Dangers of Extremist Islamic Terrorists' Deadly and/or Destructive Attacks, (such as Journalists, or Poor obliged to live at some Dangerous Quarters, and any Staff working in proximity of such Risks, etc),  won't be obliged by anyone to lower their need for Protection of their Private and/or Working Lives, under any pretext, instead of well focused measures naming and facing the obvious Real Dangers...

+ Considering the facts which currently motivate moves to better Protect Journalists and other possible Targets of such Extremist Islamist Terrorism as it was revealed in the Brutal Murders of 12 defenseless persons at the "Charlie Hebdo" massacre, earlier this week, in addition to the US Attorney General (Comp. Supra), it would obviously be logical to invite to join the Collective move, at one moment or another, also the equivalent Russian Authorities, given not only their full CoE Member Status, but particularly Moscow's experience in facing such (and even more) Tragic Bloody Extreme Islamist Terrorist Attacks, from Chechnya up to Dagestan, etc., even against Small Children and their Families in the Beslan School drama (2004), etc, as well as their full CoE Member State status.  This could be extended, at one stage or another, in an adequate way, also to China, considering particularly the fact that its President, Xi Jiping, has recently launched a Call for International Cooperation "against Religious motivated Terrorism", after several Bloody Attacks mainly by some Ughur tribal "Islamists" of Turcic trend, reportedly claiming Scissionism even by Terrorist mean, (Comp. f.ex. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/osceburkhalterandresolutionsonisisterror.html +http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/oscesgzannieronshanghaiorganisation.html)

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    - Earlier Today, Jagland paid Hommage to the Persons who Died in the name of Freedom of Expression, and wished that the French Authorities and the Police make a Strong move against the Perpetrators of such Deadly Crimes, in order to bring them to Justice.

    He was speaking after a Special Ceremony for a Minute of Silence, at CoE's Headquarters in Strasbourg, in Hommage to the Victims of this week's Bloody Massacre of 12 Persons (Journalists, Director, Staff, Policemen, etc., including a Woman and 2 Elders aged 76 and 80), at the Attack against French Weekly Magazine "Charlie Hebdo" in Paris by 2 Armed Extremist Islamist Terrorists and an Accomplice, which was attended by a great number of CoE's Officers and Agents, as well as Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives from the PanEuropean Organisation's 47 Member Countries, (including Russia's, etc), from the ECHR, and Strasbourg's Local/Regional Authorities, etc.

    During the Ceremony, held CoE's Flag was flying lower, at mid-mast, (as did also the French National Flags in all Public Buildings and Monuments throughout the Country for 4 Days of collective Mourning, until Sunday's Public Mass Demonstrations scheduled in both in Paris and at many other Cities and Villages throughout France, open, in principle, to participation by all People willing to express and share thus their Emotion and Condemnation of such an unprecedented, Horrible Crime against Press Freedom.

 

    Next week, Jagland is due to visit EU Parliament during its plenary session in Strasbourg, where he has been invited to speek with MEPs at certain Committees from Monday, Jan. 12, including on other Topical issues of joint  EU/CoE concern, such as developments on Ukraine, etc.