Ukraine
Comment: Hatz on journalists in Ukraine
A Ukrainian website provides journalists under suspicion. The trail of the scandal in government circles. Ukraine must ask you if you want to protect the freedom of the press, writes Bernd Johann.
The website”Mirotworetz” (peacemaker) moved in the past, especially by scandals, the attention. Now the platform blew for the hunt to representatives of the media, which have made a picture of the situation in the occupied territories of Eastern Ukraine. Including employees of Russian state media, but also a lot of reporters from all over the world. Especially journalists are affected, however, in the Ukraine.
Due to the massive international protests, the operators announced, in the meantime, the closure of the website. Of remorse, not a trace is in your statement. And the scandal remains: a Flat rate of journalists is a cooperation with the Pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass. The on the Internet list published contains over 4000 names. This includes information to the media, for which the journalists work, telephone numbers and Mail addresses – many of them private and not business.
Journalists under suspicion
Not only the personal rights of people are violated in a rough way. In addition, journalists come under General suspicion because of separatists accredit. For the “Peacemaker,” and his supporters is this enough to speak of “treason” and “collaboration”. And worse still, Large parts of the Ukrainian Public and policy-makers agree.
Bernd Johann
Media, it seems, are defined in the Ukraine, in the meantime, more and more as a tool of state interests. Many of the affected colleagues, including Reporter of the DW, is now in social networks desert insults as “traitors to the Fatherland”. Even threats. A campaign against journalists is in progress.
Accreditation is not a “collaboration”
You have done your job. They carried out the orders of their media houses. And they did not meet the legitimate desire of the Public for reporting. This Reporter must go there, where there is a fire. It is a worldwide accepted procedure, if you have accreditation, even if they are issued by groups with no political recognition. Journalists must observe the rules of the game, for safety reasons.
They are expensive this is not to be “collaborators”. Separatists get no international recognition. But without the work of journalists in the Donbass, and know the world is a lot less about what goes on there and how massive Russia militarily in the war is entangled.
People are put in danger
It is incredibly cynical, as the site “Peacemaker” has a lump put thousands of journalists in the vicinity of the “terrorists” and “enemies of the State”.
Screenshot of the website “peace-maker”
The Kyiv Prosecutor’s office checks the process. Hopefully, it also ensures that the initiators of the publication legally be held accountable. Because they are not “peacemakers”, but the columns of the society, the freedom of expression in question, and have brought people, perhaps even in danger of their lives.
Politicians rush and the Minister of the interior, with mixed
Also the Ukrainian policy mixes. The member of Parliament Anton Heraschtschenko supported the publication with a fierce allegations against journalists. The politician and his ties to the dubious Internet platform would be a case for the judiciary. But ironically, this man advises the Ukrainian interior Minister, Arsen Avakov, is not known that he values a free and independent press. The scandal of journalists extends to government circles.
The reporters on the list have gone in the war zone Donbass in danger of their lives. Now you are on the Internet pillory and not be worried, probably just wondering whether the Ukrainian state is not willing for your personal safety, but if he wants to protect the freedom of the press.