Remembering Georgy Gongadze and other slain journalists
Georgy, we haven’t forgotten you
In Kyiv on September 16 journalists, civic activists and others attended the now traditional gathering remembering slain journalist Georgy Gongadze and other journalists in Ukraine who died while carrying out their work.
The gathering began with flowers being laid at the memorial plaque to slain journalists on Khreshchatyk and then moved to Maidan Nezalezhnosti [Independence Square] where candles spelling out Georgy Gongdadze’s name were lit. The names of 71 journalists who have died since Independence were read out.
Remembrance gatherings were held in other parts of Ukraine also.
A year ago on this day Myroslava Gongadze wrote about the day, a Saturday, that had changed her family’s life forever and ultimately that of Ukraine.
She explained that 2 days later they had held a press conference at which they reported that Georgy had vanished and asked for journalists’ solidarity in looking for him. Thanks to all those who responded, “the murder of a fellow journalist became a tragedy of the entire journalist community and of society as a whole.”
Four men have been convicted of carrying out the murder of Georgy Gongadze and are serving sentences. Officially, those who ordered the killing have not been named or prosecuted.