Press in Ukraine still suffering one year after attacks on journalists
A year ago today, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported on the first mass assaults on press freedom in Ukraine, after police were ordered to disperse protesters in the capital, Kiev, and other cities. At least 51 journalists–including local and international reporters–were attacked by police and protesters while covering the early days of the standoff…
CPJ calls on Belgium to defend press freedom at Committee of Ministers
CPJ calls on Didier Reynders, Belgium’s foreign minister, to use his country’s presidency at the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe–the largest pan-European human rights watchdog–to defend press freedom in Europe, and address violations by members states. CPJ’s letter highlights press freedom abuses in Azerbaijan, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Ukraine must reverse ban on Russian TV channels
New York, August 20, 2014–On Tuesday, Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov ordered cable operators in the country to stop airing 14 Russian TV channels in an effort to curb Russia’s war propaganda, according to news reports. The Interior Ministry cited Russia’s decision to ban Ukrainian TV channels in Crimea as a justification for…
News from the Committee to Protect Journalists, July 2014
CPJ conducts fact-finding mission in Ukraine Muzaffar Suleymanov, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia Research Associate, traveled to Kiev on July 6 on a week-long fact-finding mission and spoke to more than a dozen local and international journalists about press freedom conditions in the country. Suleymanov also met with journalists who had covered or were covering…
Mission Journal: Attacks on journalists in Ukraine lead to information vacuum
“There are no [independent] Ukrainian journalists left in Donetsk,” said Aleksei Matsuka, chief editor of the regional news website Novosti Donbassa (News of Donbass). “They have fled the region since pro-Russia separatists started targeting and kidnapping reporters,” Matsuka told CPJ during our brief meeting in Kiev.
Journalists, media outlets remain in the crosshairs in eastern Ukraine
New York, June 27, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns continued pressure on the media in the eastern Ukraine region of Donetsk and calls on separatists to allow journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal.
Russian journalist and media worker killed in eastern Ukraine
New York, June 17, 2014–A Russian journalist and a media worker died from injuries they sustained in mortar fire in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lugansk today, according to Russian and international media reports. Igor Kornelyuk, correspondent for the state-owned broadcaster VGTRK, and Anton Voloshin, a sound engineer, were reporting on the deadly clashes between…
In eastern Ukraine, newsroom burned down, telecom company halts broadcasts
New York, June 6, 2014–A local newsroom was burned down on Thursday in Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine and a telecommunication company stopped broadcasting content from six Ukrainian TV channels, citing threats, according to news reports and press freedom groups. In both cases, separatists with the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) were believed to be…
International journalist and his fixer killed in Ukraine
New York, May 27, 2014–On Saturday, Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli and his Russian interpreter and fixer, Andrei Mironov, were killed in mortar fire outside the eastern city of Sloviansk, according to regional and international press reports. A French photojournalist, William Roguelon, was also wounded in the attack, reports said.
Russian journalists barred from entering Ukraine
New York, May 23, 2014–Several Russian journalists were barred from entering Ukraine this past week, ahead of Sunday’s presidential vote, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the move and calls on Ukrainian authorities to allow all journalists to carry out their job without harassment.