155. Participating States have an obligation to refrain from any direct or indirect cen- sorship of the media, including online media, or other forms pressure intended to silence journalists who defend human rights, as well as others who engage in reporting on human rights issues or otherwise contribute to related public debates. They should also put in place conditions to ensure that private actors, such as influential media corporations or influential groups, do not attempt to censor or put pressure on human rights defenders. As an essential component of practically safeguarding freedom of expression and information, OSCE participating States have undertaken to “make further efforts to facilitate the freer and wider dissemination of information of all kinds, to encourage co-operation in the field of information and to improve the working conditions for journalists.”220 In particular, “[r]ecalling that the legitimate pursuit of journalists’ professional activity will neither render them liable to expulsion nor otherwise penalize them, [they committed to refraining] from taking restrictive measures such as withdrawing a journalist’s accreditation or expelling him because of the content of the reporting of the journalist or of his information media”.221 Appropriate steps should also be taken to protect from undue interference individuals who are not professional journalists but who contribute to public debates, to ensure that they can exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression when reporting on human rights issues or contributing to related public debates. 156. A s such, participating States should “promote a safe and enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and without undue interference, including by means of: (a) legislative measures; (b) awareness-raising in the judiciary and among law enforcement officers and military personnel, as well as among journalists and in civil society, regarding international human rights and humanitarian law obligations and commitments relating to the safety of journalists; (c) the monitoring and reporting of attacks against journalists; (d) publicly condemning attacks; and (e) dedicating the resources necessary to investigate and prosecute such attacks”.222 It is particularly important to ensure that journalists who contribute to the protection and realization of human rights are effectively protected from attacks and other abuses carried out both by state and non-state actors, including violent extremist and organized crime groups. E. Freedom of peaceful assembly 157. The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association has stated that “holding peaceful assemblies is a legitimate and powerful means to make calls for democratic change; greater respect for human rights […] and accountability for human rights violations and abuses”.223 In this regard, 220  Vienna 1989, “Co-operation in Humanitarian and Other Fields”, para. 34. 221  Ibid. para. 39. 222  A/RES/68/163, para. 6. 223  A/HRC/23/39, 24 April 2013, para. 80. The Special Rapporteur referred to the “Arab Spring” and “occupy movement” when making this statement. Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders 77