Ukraine remembers every journalist held in Russian captivity – Foreign Ministry
That is according to a statement released by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on World Press Freedom Day, Ukrinform reports.
"Ukraine reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of press freedom and freedom of speech, which form the foundation of democratic nations. As a democracy on the front lines of defending the free world, Ukraine proves daily that even in the face of full-scale war, democratic institutions remain the bedrock of our resilience," the statement reads.
At the same time, Ukraine continues to maintain a pluralistic and free media environment. A clear reflection of this positive trend is the country's significant rise in international press freedom rankings this year.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed that today defending freedom of speech means fighting on two fronts: against terror and propaganda.
"For Ukraine, the protection of journalists against targeted Russian terrorist strikes, which hunt both media professionals and newsrooms, is a particularly acute issue. By waging war against journalists, Moscow attempts to conceal the truth about its crimes," the ministry said.
The aggressor is also attempting to poison the information space with propaganda, misleading audiences around the world and complicating the work of professional journalists.
According to Ukrainian government bodies and monitoring groups, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has killed at least 149 media workers, including both Ukrainian and foreign journalists. At least 21 journalists were killed while performing their professional duties.
"This is a deliberate campaign of Russian terror against those who bring the truth to the world. There must be accountability for every attack on journalists within both national and international jurisdictions. Under no circumstances should the media be targeted. In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russia has established a regime of total censorship and repression. Freedom of speech there has been physically eradicated. We emphasize: the de-occupation of our lands is the only path to restoring freedom for journalists and the people's right to fact-based information," the statement reads.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry calls on international organizations to closely monitor, document, and take principled public positions regarding gross violations of freedom of speech and the press in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
At the same time, it notes that the catastrophic situation for journalism within Russia itself poses a threat to global security. The world must intensify coordinated pressure on the Kremlin regime to stop the persecution of journalists and the destruction of all civil liberties.
"We remember every Ukrainian journalist currently in Russian captivity. According to official data from Ukraine's National Union of Journalists, approximately 30 Ukrainian media workers are currently being held in Russian captivity or through illegal detention. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all Ukrainian journalists. Ukraine will not cease the fight for every one of its citizens – military or civilian – until everyone has returned home," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry stressed that the fight for journalists' rights and freedom of speech is a shared responsibility of the entire international community. It is not merely the task of a single country, but a defense of global immunity against tyranny.
Ukraine calls on the world to unite efforts to ensure the safety of media workers in conflict zones, respond firmly to crimes against freedom of speech, and support independent media as a safeguard against dictatorship.
"Journalists must be able to do their work. When freedom of speech is under threat, the future of the entire free world is under threat," the statement said.
World Press Freedom Day is observed on May 3.
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