International Media Organizations: peace plan mustn’t envision amnesty for crimes against journalists

A coalition of leading international press freedom organizations has called on the parties to the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine to abandon any provisions on amnesty for war crimes committed against journalists.

In a joint statement released on December 4, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), together with partner organizations including the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), the Institute of Mass Information, and Reporters Without Borders, strongly condemned the Trump administration’s initial offer of a “full amnesty” for all actions during the war.

According to various organizations, at least 16 media workers have been killed since the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion (according to the NUJU, 21 media workers were killed while performing their professional duties), including Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchina, who died after being tortured in russian captivity. Recent victims include French photojournalist Antoni Lallican and Ukrainian reporters Aliyona Hramova and Yevhen Karmazin, who were killed by russian FPV drones in the fall of 2025.

The MFRR has also documented 53 cases of destruction of Ukrainian media infrastructure by russian forces. The organizations note that recent months have been among the most dangerous for journalists since the beginning of the war, with a sharp increase in targeted attacks on media workers.

The signatories of the statement emphasize that any amnesty for war crimes against journalists as civilians would violate international humanitarian law and create a dangerous precedent of impunity.

The organizations call for the acceleration of the establishment of the Council of Europe Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and support the investigation by the International Criminal Court.

NUJU Information Service

Signed by:

International Press Institute (IPI)

ARTICLE 19 Europe

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)

Free Press Unlimited (FPU)

Institute of Mass Information (IMI)

National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU)

Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)

Reporters sans frontières (RSF) / Reporters without Borders