Stop Censorship calls for international sanctions against high-ranking officials
The movement Stop Censorship has issued a statement in which it says that journalists in Ukraine have turned into hostages of an authoritarian regime. It calls on the international community to apply sanctions against those high-ranking officials responsible for unleashing violence in Ukraine.
Stop Censorship points out that at least 25 members of the press have been injured during the events in the centre of Kyiv on Jan 19 and 20, with some of them having to be hospitalized. At least 10 of these journalists say that they were deliberately aimed at “which clearly demonstrates how the regime understands the concepts of freedom of speech and human rights. Almost all the injured journalists were in bright jackets with the word PRESS on them, and were holding professional cameras and video recorders.
The deliberate aimed fire at members of the press was recorded on video by Radio Svoboda journalists who were broadcasting live from the scene. “
Stop Censorship writes that the events epitomize what has been happening to journalists over recent years. Beatings, destruction of technology; shots; and detentions – so that there aren’t any videos, photos and people in the country who see and know the truth”.
Stop Censorship cannot expect even excuses from the authorities, and indeed today the police could only come up with the claim that aimed shooting at journalists was provocation against the police.
For that reason, the journalists call on the international community, world democracies and international financial institutions to not wait while they are destroyed by a dictator.
“Support human rights in Ukraine through real actions. We, journalists of the Stop Censorship movement, call on you to apply sanctions against those high-ranking officials responsible for unleashing violence in Ukraine”
See also: More reports of journalists under fire