Violence against journalists continues to escalate in Ukraine. Join the IFJ’s #SOS_KIEV campaign and send a tweet demanding an end to the attacks against journalists and support for press freedom.
Clashes between protestors have quickly escalated in Ukraine. At least 27 journalists have been injured and one reporter has been killed since 18 February.
Vyacheslav Veremyi, a 33-year-old correspondent for Vesti newspaper, died on 19 February following an attack by unidentified assailants as he was leaving Independence Square. His death is a tragic outcome of the social unrest that has overtaken Ukraine since November 2013, when citizens began demonstrating against President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision not to sign EU trade agreements.
Earlier in February, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reported that the latest figures estimate that over 150 journalists have been injured since the protests in Kiev began in November, with 42 journalists injured in protests in mid-January, while reports abound of journalists being threatened, intimidated and forced to leave the country.
Along with the IFJ, several IFEX members including the Institute for Mass Information (IMI) in Ukraine have been reporting on the crisis, and in response to the desperate situation, the IFJ and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have launched the Ukraine Crisis campaign – #SOS_KIEV. The campaign supports journalists working on the ground and is calling on the Ukrainian government to respect press freedom and end attacks against journalists in the country.
Join the protest, take action, and encourage your networks to do the same!
View IFJ’s and EFJ’s campaign page here for more information and a list of other actions you can take.
