The Committee to Protect Journalists and more than 20 partner organizations called on Czech political parties to commit to 10 priority measures to safeguard press freedom in the run-up to parliamentary elections on October 3–4.

The recommendations, developed with experts and inspired by the recently adopted European Media Freedom Act, address urgent challenges, including attacks on journalists; abusive lawsuits; restrictions on access to information; and threats to the independence of public service media. They also highlight the need to protect exiled journalists based in the Czech Republic and to ensure a pluralistic and transparent media market.

The signatories urge every democratic party to endorse the 10 demands as a commitment to protecting citizens’ access to multiple avenues of trustworthy information and ensuring informed public debate in a healthy democracy.

Read the full recommendations here.