On Sept. 16, Ukrainians marked the 20-year anniversary of the murder of investigative journalist Georgiy Gongadze, a man whose work, brutal politically-motivated killing and memory still shape journalism in Ukraine to this day.
Gongadze, a political reporter and co-founder of Ukrainska Pravda, an online news outlet, was abducted and murdered on Sept. 16, 2000, by four police officials.
Although the perpetrators were eventually found and convicted, those who ordered the attack remain unpunished. Soon after the murder, audiotapes surfaced in which then-President Leonid Kuchma told top subordinates that Gongadze had to be silenced. However, Kuchma faced charges only briefly in 2011, but has remained a prime suspect since then. He denies involvement in the killing.
To mark the 20th anniversary of Gongadze’s death, Ukrainians held several commemorative events. On Sept. 16, Ukrainian journalists ceremonially unveiled a memorial plaque on the Union of Journalists building in Kyiv.
The next day, Ukraine’s Suspilne public broadcaster held a screening of its new documentary: “The Gongadze Murder: 20 Years in Search of the Truth.”
And on Sept. 18, journalists and activists held a commemoration ceremony for Gongadze on Independence Square in central Kyiv.
