The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on international organizations to continue closely monitoring the human rights issues in the territory of Ukraine illegally occupied by the Russian Federation.
“The continuing deterioration of the situation in the field of media freedom and safety of journalists in the territory of Ukraine illegally occupied by the Russian Federation, causes a serious concern in Ukraine and throughout the civilized world. The last confirmation of a high level concern about the situation that has arisen as a result of the armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine, have become the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 2141 (2017) “Attacks against Journalists and Media Freedom in Europe,” adopted on Jan. 24, 2017, and the statement of the OSCE representative on freedom of the media Dunja Mijatovic, issued on the same day,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in comments, released by its press service on Jan. 25.
In particular, the PACE pays special attention to the flagrant violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the occupied territories of Ukraine – both in Crimea, and in some regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where, in particular, the suppression of freedom of the media is continuing and journalists are among the most vulnerable targets for repressions by the Russian occupation authorities.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine supported the PACE requirement addressed to the Russian authorities to immediately release Ukrainian film director and journalist Oleh Sentsov and journalist Roman Sushchenko, and also stop criminal prosecution in the occupied Crimean peninsula of journalists Hanna Andriyevska, Natalia Kokorina and Mykola Semena on trumped up charges of “separatism.”
It is also noted that the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic condemned in her statement the repressive practices of the occupation regime in Crimea and Donbas.
“In particular, she criticized the restrictions on access to information, pluralism of opinions and the deterioration of the situation of the safety of journalists. We fully share the view expressed by Dunja Mijatovic on the case of Mykola Semena on the inadmissibility of prosecution of journalists for expressing their own thoughts and the need for removal of all the charges,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
“We demand from the Russian Federation, as the occupying state, to immediately cease violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including media freedom, on the occupied territories of Ukraine,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its comments.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also encourages international organizations to continue closely monitoring the problems of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the territories of Ukraine illegally occupied by the Russian Federation and to seek unfettered access for a permanent international monitoring of the situation in this area.
