Ukraine

The prosecution brought charges of disseminating “false information” about Russian armed forces “motivated by political hatred” against Ilya Yashin for speaking out via social media about Russian atrocities in Bucha. Yashin was also banned from using the internet for an additional four years.

“Culture – past, present, and future – is on the front lines of the brutal war on Ukraine and cultural erasure is a central tactic of Russia’s campaign of aggression and violence in Ukraine, which has gone on for over eight years.”

At least three journalists were arrested, at least 16 more were detained, at least three face various charges, and at least two were served military summonses.

One of those abducted is Olena Naumova, a Kherson kindergarten teacher and TikTok blogger who had been kidnapped by the Russian military on 23 August and released on 6 September. Her son says she disappeared again on 19 September.

“If passed, the legislation would expand the powers of the state broadcasting regulator, allowing it to regulate online and print outlets, invalidate the registration and license of any media outlet, block online media without a court order, and request that social media platforms and web browsers remove content forbidden under the law”.

In the first six months of the war in Ukraine, Russian forces have killed a total of 37 journalists, eight of whom died in the course of their work. Another fourteen have been injured and four are considered missing.

The charges against Yevloyeva stem from a June post on her news website’s Telegram channel, which allegedly contained false information about the Russian armed forces. Yevloyeva, who is currently located outside Russia, was put on the country’s wanted list.

“If passed, the legislation would expand the regulator’s power, allowing it to invalidate online news outlets’ registrations, issue fines against them, and shut them down pursuant to court rulings” – CPJ

“Long abused by the government, the 2012 law was instrumental in causing self-censorship and a mass exodus of domestic and international outlets from Russia, as well as forcing the remaining independent media organizations underground” – IPI

As of 24 July, the Russian military have killed a total of 36 journalists in Ukraine, 8 while they were reporting. Fourteen journalists have been injured and four are missing.

In video calls, a fake ‘Mayor Klitschko’ spoke with the mayors of Berlin, Vienna, Warsaw, and other cities, discussed details about Russia’s war in Ukraine – and called for people fleeing the war to be returned to Ukraine. Notorious Russian prank callers have claimed responsibility.

Reporters Without Borders investigators on the ground say that the evidence against the Russian forces is overwhelming.

A Russian court ordered the ‘arrest in absentia’ of journalists Ruslan Leviev and Michael Nacke over comments they made in a YouTube discussion that contradicted Russia’s official narrative about the war.

Crimea-based journalist Iryna Danilovich went missing on 29 April and was later found to be detained by Russian occupying forces. She faces a possible eight years in prison if convicted of “illegal handling” of explosives.

“Staji was found with a blanket over his head, dirt in his mouth, and handcuff marks on his wrists, and he showed signs of having been beaten on his head, ribs, kidneys, hands, and feet, and his right arm was ‘smashed to pieces’.”

In Ukraine, at least 7 journalists have been killed and another 33 fired upon or wounded. In Russia, at least 114 media websites have been blocked, 10 major press outlets have been closed, and at least 11 journalists have been fined or detained under the new ‘fake’ news law.