U.S. State Department: Censorship and persecution of journalists in Ukraine

The U.S. Department of State. Photo: Liga.net

The U.S. Department of State has published a report for 2023 regarding human rights violations in Ukraine.

In particular, it mentions the introduction of censorship on the Internet and the blocking of 1,152 websites in accordance with government orders based on national security concerns.

"Law enforcement bodies monitored the internet, at times without appropriate legal authority, and took significant steps to block access to websites reportedly based on security concerns," the report notes.

The document also mentions cases of unjustified arrests or persecution of journalists and restrictions on freedom of expression, including for representatives of the media, as well as violence or threats of violence against journalists.

Separately, the U.S. Department of State noted the Myrotvorets ('Peacemaker') website, which publishes personal data of journalists whose statements are considered unpatriotic by the Ukrainian authorities.

"The Myrotvorets website, which reportedly maintained close ties to the security services, hosted a database of personal information of journalists and public figures whose statements and activities had been deemed unpatriotic," the report goes 

As reported by the UOJ, on March 12, 2024, employees of the Security Service of Ukraine conducted mass searches of Ukrainian journalists and human rights activists. The searches affected employees of internet publications Union of Orthodox Journalists, Pershy Kozatsky, the Public Union Myriany, and the human rights initiative Center for Legal Protection. Four journalists and human rights activists: Archpriest Sergiy Chertylin, Andriy Ovcharenko, Valeriy Stupnitsky, and Volodymyr Bobechko, were arrested and placed in investigative custody.

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