COPENHAGEN, 7 January 2015 – In response to Wednesday's attack on the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva issued the following statement:

"On behalf of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I condemn the heinous attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris, which has reportedly killed at least 12 people. My heart goes out to the victims, to their families and colleagues, as well as to the whole of France, a nation that has long stood for principles of multiculturalism, religious tolerance and freedom of speech. I further reiterate the statement issued earlier today by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, denouncing the attack as an unprecedented assault on media freedom and freedom of expression."