THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
The systematic persecution of independent media, the destruction of newsrooms, and the use of FPV drones over journalists with the PRESS label and colleagues in captivity were discussed on January 15 at a meeting of the Interim Investigative Commission (IIC) of the Verkhovna Rada to Investigate russian crimes against Journalists.
“When 40 different media outlets around the world published materials about the case of journalist Victoria Roshchina, who died in russian captivity, it was the journalistic solidarity of internationalists that worked,” emphasized the chairwoman of the IIC, the chairwoman of the parliamentary subcommittee on information policy, Yevheniya Kravchuk.
She also proposed holding a separate IIC meeting dedicated to the case of Victoria Roshchina, with the involvement of law enforcement agencies.
Commenting on the difficult working conditions of Ukrainian journalists during his speech at the IIC meeting, Antoine Bernard, Global Director for Advocacy, Litigation and Assistance of Reporters Without Borders, stressed the importance of constant dialogue with colleagues from the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) and the Institute of Mass Information.
The IIC approved the composition of the Expert Council, which included the President of NUJU, Sergiy Tomilenko, from the NUJU.
“For me, this is an opportunity to bring the voice of the journalistic community to where decisions are made. And an opportunity to use what we record: more than 100 video testimonies of the Shooted Freedom of Speech project, the experience of the work of six Journalists’ Solidarity Centers (JSC), ties with international partners — EFJ, IFJ, CPJ, and the Council of Europe,” Sergiy Tomilenko noted.
Lina Kushch, the First Secretary of the NUJU, also participated in the IIC meeting.
The NUJU does not expect the parliamentary commission to replace the investigation. But it can do what investigative bodies cannot: give a political assessment of systemic crimes, increase international pressure on the russian federation to release imprisoned journalists, and recommend changes in state policy.
The composition of the Expert Council of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada on the investigation of crimes committed by armed formations of the russian federation against journalists and other employees of media entities: Serhii Tomilenko, Oksana Romaniuk, Tetiana Katrychenko, Kateryna Diyachuk, Oleksandra Horchynska, Dmytro Khyliuk, Hanna Krasnostup, Oleksandr Burmahin, Andrii Bystrov, Nataliya Kryvoruchko, Stas Kozliuk, Oleh Baturin, Yuliya Khymeryk, Hanna Chekhovych, Maksym Butkevych, Liza Kuzmenko, and Volodymyr Zelenchuk.
NUJU Information Service
Photo from Facebook / Sergiy Tomilenko
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