WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) issued the following statement on the United Nations Press Freedom Day.

“Today, I am pleased to mark United Nations Press Freedom Day, a day that reminds us all of the integral role that a free press and free expression play in a civil, democratic society. Unfortunately, many people in this world are denied the basic freedoms enshrined in the UN Declaration on Human Rights. Restrictive governments deny these rights because they know that freedom of the press leads to free, open democracies. However, today we mark the brave acts of journalists who choose to ignore these infringements in order to bring the news to the public. I deeply appreciate the sacrifice that many of these courageous men and women make to bring freedom to all people, through free and unrestricted information.”