European Federation of Journalists adopts statement on Ukrainian journalists persecuted in Russia

10.05.2019 15:20

Ukrinform

The European Federation of Journalists adopted at its Annual Meeting a special statement of solidarity with Ukrainian journalists who are persecuted in Russia, Crimea and occupied Donbas.

“Victory! The European Federation of Journalists has just adopted a special statement of solidarity with Ukrainian journalists who are being persecuted in Russia, Crimea and occupied Donbas,” Chairman of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) Serhiy Tomilenko posted on Facebook.

According to Tomilenko, the representatives of Russia and France argued against the adoption of statement. While delivering their speeches, the representatives of the unions of journalists of Lithuania and Poland, as well as the Vice-President of the EFJ, called for the adoption of the statement and solidarity with Ukrainian colleagues.

Tomilenko added that the statement was adopted by the absolute majority of the Annual Meeting delegates - more than 100 votes.

“Freedom to Roman Sushchenko, who is imprisoned in Russia! Freedom to Stanislav Aseev and Oleh Halaziuk, imprisoned in occupied Donbas! Freedom to Mykola Semena, convicted for his professional activities by the Russian authorities in Crimea! Free and stop persecution of citizen Crimean Tatar journalists!” the NUJU chairman wrote.

As reported, Paris-based Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko was illegally arrested in Moscow on September 30, 2016. He was sentenced to 12 years in a high-security penal colony on trumped-up espionage charges.

Mykola Semena, the journalist of the Radio Liberty project "Crimea.Realities", was convicted in the annexed Crimea for his journalistic activities, received a 2.5-year suspended sentence and was banned from engaging in journalistic activities for two years.

Stanislav Aseev, the journalist of the Radio Liberty project "Donbas.Realities", disappeared in Donetsk on June 2, 2017. Almost two months after the disappearance, the separatists informed that the journalist had been arrested on suspicion of espionage.

Pro-Ukrainian blogger Oleh Halaziuk, who covered the events in the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions on social networks and collaborated with some Ukrainian media outlets, has been in captivity of militants in the occupied Donetsk for over a year.