OSCE representative’s bothered with attacks on media members in Ukraine

OSCE representative’s bothered with attacks on media members in Ukraine

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today denounced recent attacks on members of the media in different regions of Ukraine. OSCE official web-site writes about this. 

“Violence against journalists has a chilling effect on the whole society and cannot be tolerated. Much more needs to be done to end the circle of impunity,” Mijatović said. “I call on the Ukrainian authorities to swiftly and thoroughly investigate these attacks and to do their utmost to ensure journalists’ safety.”

According to reports, on 15 August, a group of unidentified individuals destroyed and forcibly removed tents hosting a Spilno TV video-streaming hub at Independence Square in Kyiv. Spilno TV crew members Maxim Prasolov and Alexey Isayev were attacked and sustained serious injuries. Yuriy Bibik, a journalist with the 112 Ukraina TV channel, was reportedly blocked by the attackers whilst trying to cover the incident. Although criminal proceedings based on hooliganism charges were launched, some reports indicate that law enforcement officers present failed to respond to the incident.

In a separate incident on 13 August in Poltava, Lyudmila Voloshina, a journalist with the Iskra Prostykh Lyudei newspaper, was allegedly assaulted by Poltava Mayor Oleksandr Mamai and his deputy, Vyacheslav Stetsenko, while covering a car accident involving Mamai. Voloshina sustained bruises and her camera was damaged.

“If police officers and high-ranking officials contribute to endangering journalists’ safety instead of protecting and assisting them, this constitutes an unacceptable and very disturbing practice,” Mijatović wrote in a letter on 19 August to the Ukrainian authorities.

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