The issue of non-freedom of speech and violation of journalists’ rights in Crimea was discussed today as part of another educational online meeting for journalists, students majoring in journalism, and human rights defenders entitled Crimea in Focus.
“We are in the circle of experienced and authoritative experts. Today, we compare the current situation with the one a year ago, when we held a series of ten meetings Crimea in Focus in order to better understand the realities of lack of freedom that are taking place in Crimea today and strengthen our desire to resist the occupiers and liberate the occupied territories of Ukraine,” noted Sergiy Tomilenko, the President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), opening the meeting.
The meeting was moderated by NUJU Secretary / experienced Crimean journalist Mykola Semena. He emphasized that after the beginning of large-scale aggression, the situation with freedom of speech in Crimea has become even more threatening, repressions against journalists, including public ones, are intensifying. In addition, the invaders spread their Crimean “experience” to other occupied territories.
Maria Tomak, a human rights journalist / head of the Crimean Platform maintenance service, noted that after 2014, a complete “cleansing” of independent professional journalists took place in Crimea, and the responsibility for providing objective information about the situation on the peninsula was assumed by public journalists, in particular, those who work within the Crimean Solidarity initiative. But now, after the start of the full-scale aggression, the situation has become even worse – any manifestation of solidarity with Ukraine is persecuted.
Among the speakers of today’s event are also Head of the Krym.Realii project of Radio Liberty Volodymyr Prytula; an experienced human rights defender / head of the Crimean human rights group Olha Skrypnyk; a well-known Crimean journalist / human rights defender / representative of the Crimean Solidarity non-governmental organization Lutfie Zudieva.
The materials of today’s educational meeting will be posted on the website and other resources of the NUJU, distributed among students who are interested in Crimean topics.
Sergiy Tomilenko emphasized that Ukrainian journalists express solidarity with Vladyslav Yesypenko, who was sentenced to five years in prison in Crimea on a false pretext, and other repressed Crimean journalists. Today, Vladyslav Yesypenko was awarded Ihor Lubchenko National Prize for the Protection of Freedom of Speech.
“We also express our support to Vladyslav Yesypenko’s colleagues from the Krym.Realii project of Radio Liberty, his family, his wife Kateryna Yesypenko,” Sergiy Tomilenko said.
So far, 15 Crimean journalists have been repressed: two professional ones (Vladyslav Yesypenko and Oleksii Bessarabov), one public figure / an experienced journalist / Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Nariman Dzhelial, and 12 civil journalists.
