OSCE welcomes decision to clear criminal record of journalist Semena

04.02.2020 11:02

Ukrinform

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, has welcomed a decision to terminate the suspended sentence and expunge the criminal record of journalist Mykola Semena, who was prosecuted in annexed Crimea for expressing his views.

“I am glad that Mykola Semena is finally free,” Désir said on a statement, which was published on the OSCE’s website.

He reminded that he had long campaigned for his release: “I have long campaigned for his release; it was unacceptable that he was persecuted in the first place for expressing his views. I hope this means he will now be able to resume his journalistic work unhindered, and travel freely.”

Désir noted that the case of Semena “reminds us of the harsh conditions in which journalists work when covering the conflict in and around Ukraine”.

As reported, on 28 January, Mykola Semena, a journalist of the Radio Liberty project "Crimea.Realities", received documents from a district court in Simferopol confirming that his suspended sentence had been lifted and his criminal record expunged.

On September 22, 2017, Semena was convicted in annexed Crimea for his journalistic activities, received a 2.5-year suspended sentence and was banned for three years from engaging in journalistic activities.