Journalists suffer brutal treatment during Ukraine protests
Protests continue in Ukraine for the 13th day running following the government’s decision to abandon an agreement with the EU. More than 50 journalists were amongst those injured at the hands of police who dealt with pro-EU protesters with excessive force. Legal aid is now being offered by Ukrainian IMS partner Media Law Institute to injured media workers
Streets in cities in both eastern and western Ukraine continue to be flooded with people protesting the government’s move to align itself with Russia instead of signing an association agreement with the EU. Hundreds of thousands have rallied in Kyiv’s city centre since Sunday, 1 December, some of whom have demanded the dissolution of government and impeachment of the President.
According to reports from the BBC, more than 100 demonstrators were hospitalised following Sunday’s provoked clashes in Kyiv. The Ukrainian website Telekritika, an acclaimed site that writes about the media sector for media, has reported more than 50 cases where local and international journalists have been injured or otherwise suffered in clashes with the police and security forces while trying to cover the events in Ukraine.
Brutal treatment of journalists
The violence has been documented by witnesses on their smartphones and shared via Youtube and social media.
Antonina Cherevko, programme manager for IMS in Ukraine said:
It is difficult to say whether any journalists were specifically targeted because of their profession or whether they were caught up in the clashes or unable to identify themselves as journalists to security forces. Some media workers who suffered in clashes claim that they were treated with even more brutality after they tried to convey that they represent media,“ she said.
“IMS and our Ukrainian partner Media Law Institute (MLI) are working to provide legal support to those journalists injured or otherwise suffered in the protests by way of consultation on their rights and/or later representation in court.
“We will also be equipping journalists with around 250 orange/green safety vests with the words ‘PRESS’ on the back for their protection and to strengthen their visibility when covering the unfolding events in Ukraine.”
Legal aid hotline for journalists
MLI has opened a hotline for journalists in need of legal aid offering legal advice and support to those who have had their rights violated. Similar initiatives are also taken up by other media organisations in the country such as Institute for Mass Information, Institute for Regional Press Development.
National and international organisations have condemned the violent reaction of security forces to media workers and peaceful protestors and called for the authorities to ensure protection of media covering events in Ukrainian streets.
Protests are changing the media landscape
According to Antonina Cherevko the protests over the last few days have also given way to a slow change in the media landscape in Ukraine.
“Where most people previously have been used to getting their news and information from traditional media, now people are increasingly relying on online media and social media for breaking news on the protests and related issues,” she said.
Examples of three relatively new online media that have increased their viewers substantially in the course of the last few days. These include SpilnoTV (Spilno means “together” in Ukrainian), HromadskeTV (Hromadske means “community” in Ukrainian) and Hromadske Radio. These media are quite different by their origin and journalist teams. While SpilnoTV is more of a grass root initiative run by young people who are producing live coverage on the protests from Kyiv, HromadskeTV was created by the team of renowned journalists who had to leave traditional media due to the oppression and conflicts with managers and owners.
Read about Media Law Institute’s call for international journalists to support their Ukrainian colleagues here.
