Safety, ending impunity for attacks against journalists must remain priorities for Ukraine authorities, OSCE Representative says during Kyiv visit

KYIV, 14 October 2016 – Ending a four-day visit to Kyiv, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today welcomed the commitment by the authorities, the media community and civil society to strengthen media freedom in Ukraine. She also called on the authorities to intensify their efforts to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists.

The Representative met Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin and stressed the need to ensure the safety of members of the media and safeguard media pluralism. She stressed that the cases of Ukrainian journalists Roman Sushchenko, detained in Moscow, and Nikolay Semena, under house arrest in Crimea, remain at the top of her agenda.


“I am receiving more reports of threats made against journalists, especially online, and particularly targeting those involved in investigative journalism,” Mijatović said. “Harassing and labeling journalists as traitors is unacceptable in a democracy and it effectively limits members of the media to carry out their work.”

In meetings with the authorities, including the parliament of Ukraine Verhovna Rada, Ministry of Interior and Prosecutor's office, the Representative reiterated the readiness of her Office to assist with media reforms in line with OSCE media freedom commitments and best practices.

Mijatović also met with Sevgil Musaeva, the editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda, and paid tribute to journalist Pavel Sheremet, who was killed by a car bomb in July.

“Sheremet’s murder sent a chilling message to the whole media community,” Mijatović said. “All journalists killed in Ukraine, including Georgiy Gongadze, Oles Buzina and Vyacheslav Veremyi, deserve full justice to be served. Impunity puts every journalist at risk.”

Mijatović also met with the Director General of the National Television Company, Zurab Alasania, the management and members of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, representatives of INTER TV and other media and civil society representatives from Crimea, Donetsk, Kyiv and Odesa to discuss media freedom issues, especially the pressing issue of journalists’ safety.

“It is unfortunate that I still have not been able to travel to the eastern part of Ukraine and to Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in order to meet journalists and civil society to make first hand assessment of media freedom issues that according to reports need immediate engagement by my Office,” Mijatović said. 

“Ukraine has a vibrant media community whose members often have to work under difficult conditions and in dangerous situations,” Mijatović said. “It is encouraging to see the level of support journalists are showing each other.”

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.