In the first month of 2024, 23 cases of violations of freedom of speech were recorded in Ukraine, of which 17 cases were the responsibility of the Ukrainian side. This is evidenced by data from the Institute of Mass Information, UNN reports.
In January 2024, IMI experts recorded 23 cases of violations of freedom of speech in Ukraine. In 17 of these cases, the Ukrainian side was responsible. For the same period last year, these figures were significantly different - IMI recorded 10 crimes against freedom of speech in Ukraine, and nine of them were committed by Russia against the media and journalists.
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It is noted that 6 cases of violations of freedom of speech were committed by Russia, in particular, shelling and injuries of journalists, cyberattacks, legal pressure and damage to the media office as a result of missile attacks.
Recall
Among the scandalous stories of obstruction of journalistic activity since the beginning of 2024 is the surveillance of Bihus.Info team members in a countryside complex.
In early January , the Narodna Pravda YouTube channel distributed a video of Bihus.Info employees allegedly using illegal substances. The founder of the project, Denys Bihus, responded to the video, saying that the video was not of journalists, but of cameramen, and assured that such actions would result in tough personnel changes.
On February 5, Bihus.Info reportedthat its journalists had identified those who had installed hidden cameras in hotel rooms to monitor the editorial office. These were employees of the Security Service of Ukraine. Later, Roman Semenchenko, head of the SBU's Department for the Protection of National Statehood was fired because of the surveillance of the editorial office.
The investigators are convinced that they were being followed by SBU officers, who are supposed to be protecting our statehood, not looking for compromising information about independent media. The SBU denied that the journalists were being followed, while the special forces claim that they were investigating the case of drug dealers associated with BIHUS Info employees.