6th of June is Journalist Day in Ukraine and it is a good chance to remind on issues of journalists, who are victims of Russian aggression and occupation of Crimea and other Ukranian territories.
Soon the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Ms. Irene Khan “Journalists in Exile” A/HRC/56/53 will be discussed at Human Rights’ Council. At January, 2024 our Association informed Rapporteur regarding this Report’s preparation on repressions against Crimean journalists, including resettled, displaced and migrated ones, with example of long-term persecution against ARC’s expert Borys Babin, member of National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.
In Report A/HRC/56/53 Ms. Irene Khan was grateful for the submissions received from 10 Governments and 36 civil society organizations, including ARC, and for the consultations held with experts and other stakeholders, which informed the report. Document stressed that following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia introduced draconian laws to severely punish anyone who “discredits” the armed forces or disseminates “false information” regarding the armed conflict.
Despite the increased use of VPNs, connectivity remains a challenge for media outlets and exiled journalists in closed societies, Report A/HRC/56/53 stressed, and it also demanded to ensure that all journalists in their jurisdiction, regardless of their legal status, are protected from violence, threats and harassment, as well as refoulement or extradition on criminal charges related to their work.
