Twenty Crimean Journalists Held In Russian Prisons Human Rights Activists

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) The Crimean Tatar Resource Center released these figures at a press conferenc in Kyiv devoted to the persecution of journalists in occupied Crimea, Ukrinform reports.

Human rights activists recalled which journalists sentenced by the Russian occupation authorities for their professional activities are included in the category of Crimean journalists.

“These primarily include political prisoners who lived in Crimea or have a direct connection to Crimea; Ukrainian citizens who did not live in Crimea but were detained there and sentenced by occupation courts; those who were detained outside Crimea but had a connection to Crimea; and those who were convicted in the case of the Noman Çelebicihan Battalion (a military unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces staffed by Crimean Tatars – ed.),” explained Eskender Bariiev, Chairman of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and a member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

Human rights activists believe that Ukraine should step up efforts to secure the release of Crimean journalists from Russian prisons.

“We call on the authorities to launch negotiations on the return of Crimean journalists who need our help because they are in critical health condition,” said Andrii Shchekun, representative of the Regional Council of Ukrainians of Crimea and Head of Strategic Communications and Development at the Ukrainian House NGO, the Crimean Center for Business and Cultural Cooperation.

During the event, it was noted that journalists are among the most difficult categories to secure for release or exchange in negotiations with Russia.

“Journalists are one of three categories that Russia does not want either to release or exchange. These are journalists, Crimean Tatars, and members of the Azov Battalion. And this is indeed a problem,” said Liudmyla Korotkykh, a lawyer with the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

Human rights activists also drew attention to the indifference of the Russian opposition toward Crimean Tatar political prisoners, particularly journalists.

“Unfortunately, we hear no word from Russian opposition figures who advocate for Western countries to discuss the exchange of Russian political prisoners in negotiations with Russia about the release of Ukrainian Crimean Tatar political prisoners, especially journalists. We would also like to draw the attention of negotiating teams and international human rights organizations to the need to protect Ukrainian journalists,” urged Valentyna Samar, editor-in-chief of the Center for Journalistic Investigations.

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The event emphasized that following Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014, it began the systematic destruction of freedom of speech on the peninsula. Many independent media outlets and journalists were forced out of Crimea, persecuted, or compelled to cease their activities. Those who remained continue to work under constant risk, providing truthful information to Ukrainian and international media outlets.

As reported by Ukrinform, more than 90 perpetrators have been implicated in the politically motivated criminal prosecution of journalists in temporarily occupied Crimea.

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