OSCE condemns attacks, kidnappings of journalists

OSCE condemns attacks, kidnappings of journalists

VIENNA -- OSCE media freedom representative has denounced continuing attacks, kidnappings of journalists, forced switching of TV channels in Ukraine conflict areas.

Dunja Mijatović on Tuesday denounced new cases of kidnapping and attacks on journalists, the recent takeover of a regional television station in Donetsk and illegal switching of broadcasts.

“Impunity for assailants of journalists and broadcasters is escalating the tensions and contributing to the deterioration of the security situation. I am dismayed by the lack of response by the law enforcement authorities to these attacks. Rule of law must be re-introduced in Ukraine,” Mijatović said.

Unidentified uniformed and armed people seized the Donetsk Regional Television and Radio Company and a regional transmission centre and replaced some local broadcasts with Rossiya 24. Digital broadcasts of all Ukrainian channels were switched off along with analogue signals of UT1, ICTV, 1+1 and 5 Kanal and some were replaced with Russian broadcasts.

Yurii Lelyavskii, a freelance journalist with ZIK channel from Lviv and Sergei Shapovalov, a journalist with VolynPost news portal from Lutsk, were detained in Sloviansk and their current whereabouts are unknown. Ruslan Kukharchuk, a journalist with the Novomedia journalists’ association, was also detained by unidentified persons in Sloviansk and released after 13 hours.

Yesterday in Donetsk, Richard Gaisford and Simon Llewellyn from ITV (UK), and Yevgenii Shibalov, a journalist with the Zerkalo Nedeli newspaper, were attacked by protesters during a rally. Shibalov received head injuries and the ITV camera was damaged.

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