“You can’t sit still.” Ukrainian media are promised continuation of repressions

The persecution of journalists and the closure of objectionable media outlets in Ukraine will not only continue, but will also have a snowball effect.

Employees of Ukrainian TV channels closed by the authorities spoke about this at a press conference in Kyiv, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.

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“The authorities may have freedom of speech in some form, but censorship has begun to flourish here. Censorship was supported by a certain circle of journalists who, as I understand it, also depend on the authorities or on people called oligarchs or close to power. Accordingly, they do not show much solidarity with us. But I want to remind them that today we are, and tomorrow they are,” said Vitaly Diky, presenter of the NewsOne TV channel.

Those present immediately remembered the closed KRT television channel and the events surrounding the Ukrainian holding Vesti.

“It is important for me that the journalists who work on the Nash TV channel understand the full responsibility of the process, that they could be next,” said the conference moderator, head of the Voice UA news agency Oksana Vashchenko. “About them, Gerasimyuk (Chairman of the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting – ed.) has already said that they have filed a lawsuit, get ready.”

“Biletsky openly said during a break at “Freedom of Speech” that “Nash” is the next TV channel, he spoke openly,” added Yulia Koltak, presenter of the “112” TV channel.

In turn, ZIK correspondent Andrey Lashch turned to his colleagues from Ukrainian TV channels and warned that “it will not be possible to sit out.”

“After the publication of the execution lists of our journalists and not only journalists, employees of our channels, they have already begun creating lists of employees of the Nash TV channel and, in particular, the Inter TV channel. Therefore, if someone thought that they would remain silent, sit out, and sit for two months and stop, no,” assured Lashch.

“This will have a snowball effect, or the domino principle will work,” added Vitaly Dikiy.

“All these stories connected with the “Sternenko lists”, with the “National Corps”, with S-14, wherever your cameras and your colleagues, your journalists appear, everything really threatens even physical violence,” Vashchenko said.

She also complained that former media workers who became “Servants of the People” spat on journalistic solidarity with particular cynicism.

“Moreover, when I went to a meeting of the Committee, and the issue of “Voice” was considered, the first question was about the attack on the “NewsOne” correspondent. I’ll tell you frankly, it was not received adequately by the members of the committee who represent the Servant of the People faction. Deputies who were former journalists said that “you are prepared to take risks.” So, the risks in relation to our profession are nothing to talk about,” she said.

Disgraced media workers remembered the Ukrainian writer and journalist Oles Buzina, who was killed in the spring of 2015.

“Don’t forget with Buzina, an investigation that is not completed, and no one is responsible, will be punished for this, understand? And there are quite a lot of cases in Ukraine,” Vashchenko recalled.

“The suspects in Buzina’s murder support Zelensky in introducing sanctions, closing TV channels and creating hit lists,” added Yulia Koltak.

TV channel employees also remembered journalist Pavel Sheremet, who was blown up in the summer of 2016 in Kyiv.

“This is also a paradoxical fact, I remember when there was a landmark press conference on the Sheremet case, where for some unknown reason the President of Ukraine took part and said that there is an evidence base, but it is also quite secret. For some reason,” recalled Vitaly Dikiy.

“But, as it turned out, everything is in place, and there is no special progress in this. Many say that it (evidence base - ed.) has moved into a phase of rather difficult situations. So, not a single, in my opinion, high-profile case against journalists was ever brought to fruition, to the point of reaching a court verdict,” the TV presenter concluded.