The Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova during her speech at the I session “Freedom of expression and its relation to other fundamental freedoms” stated that over the past five years, according to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, more than 300 cases of pressure on journalists in Crimea have been recorded, and 10 civic journalists were illegally arrested. She reported this via her Facebook page.
Denisova emphasized that the situation with freedom of speech in Ukraine is significantly affected by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
“Over the past five years, according to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, more than 300 cases of pressure on journalists in Crimea have been recorded, including attacks, torture, detention, seizure of property, searches, threats, psychological pressure, prohibition of filming and denial of access to information ", the message said.
In addition, ten civic journalists participating in the Crimean Solidarity Initiative were illegally arrested and are now being held in pre-trial detention centers or penal institutions in the territory of the Russian Federation or the occupied Crimea.