“Russian troops once again equate journalists with “spies”,” – Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders condemns the arrest by the russian occupation forces of six journalists and administrators of news telegram channels in Melitopol, this international non-governmental organization, which takes care of the protection of freedom of speech around the world, informs.

As reported, six journalists and administrators of two Ukrainian Telegram channels were accused of terrorism and detained by the russian military in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia Region in southeastern Ukraine.

A russian propaganda video finally made it possible to track their whereabouts, while their loved ones had not heard from them since late August. Reporters Without Borders is demanding their immediate release.

For almost two months, the fate of six journalists and administrators of the telegram channel of the Internet publication RIA-Melitopol and the Melitopol is Ukraine information channel remained unknown. The video released on October 29 by the russian propaganda media Russia-1 and Vesti.ru made it possible to establish the location of Heorhii Levchenko, Oleksandr Malyshev, Maksym Rupchev, Yana Suvorova, and Mark Kaliush for the first time after their arrest on August 20 in the Zaporizhzhia Region in southeastern Ukraine. Kostiantyn Zynovkin, also featured in the video, was arrested in May.

On the eve of the release of the video, the russian Federal Security Service (FSB), in a statement dated October 27, congratulated itself on the “neutralization of the activities of three large intelligence groups coordinated by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine,” directly naming the two Telegram channels in question.

“Russian forces are once again equating journalists with ‘spies’ to intimidate those who refuse to cooperate with them in the occupied territories,” emphasizes Jeanne Cavelier, the Head of Eastern Europe & Central Asia Desk of Reporters Without Borders. “RWB is outraged by these new arrests and the humiliating practice of coerced public confessions, which violates Article 14 on fair trial of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which russia is a signatory. We call for the immediate release of six journalists.”

The six defendants are accused of “inciting the local population to spy on russia. They were forced to confess their guilt on video, a Soviet method modernized by the russian authorities against journalists. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against them for “public incitement to carry out terrorist activities, public justification of terrorism or propaganda of terrorism.” According to information from the FSB, they may also soon be charged with “treason” and “espionage.” On the current charges, they face 12 to 20 years in prison. Simultaneously with these arrests, the russian occupation forces took control of the RIA-Melitopol telegram channel, forcing the Ukrainian media to open another one.

Ukrainian journalists who refuse to cooperate with the russian military are systematically persecuted in the occupied territories. The russian propaganda machine continues to grow stronger through the recruitment and training of “journalists” and the creation of its media.

Ukraine and russia rank 79^th and 164^th, respectively, out of 180 countries in the RWB World Press Freedom Index.