WUNRN
OSCE - Organization for Security
& Co-Operation in Europe
OSCE FREEDOM OF MEDIA WOMAN CHIEF
SAYS SAFETY OF JOURNALISTS, INCLUDING FEMALES, IS BIGGEST MEDIA CHALLENGE IN
UKRAINE
OSCE
Representative on Freedom of the Media
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ms. Dunja Mijatović
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b11aceda364f8f9afa6cadbbb&id=679e531dc2&e=056b99cec0
JOURNALISTS' SAFETY, INCLUDING FEMALE JOURNALISTS,
REMAINS BIGGEST MEDIA FREEDOM CHALLENGE IN UKRAINE - OSCE
Names of women journalists in article below, are
underlined.
VIENNA, 20 August 2014 – OSCE
Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today denounced
recent attacks on members of the media in different regions of Ukraine.
“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.
The Representative also noted
earlier reports about violations of journalists’ rights and attacks on media
outlets, also communicated to the Ukrainian authorities in a letter on 13
August: