First Deputy Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Darya Svyrydova took part in a press conference where she presented an information message to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague from the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU), Prosecutor General`s Office.
The report contains evidence of systematic harassment of journalists and independent media by the occupying state and its occupation administration in Crimea.
“Violations of human rights and freedom of speech in Crimea during the Russian occupation are closely linked to the persecution and harassment of journalists. In fact, the first thing the Russian Federation did during the occupation of the peninsula was sizing its information space, which made it possible to broadcast the ideas of the “Russian world” and deprive those who resisted the occupiers of their right to vote. Ukrainian, foreign media workers and bloggers have suffered serious violations of their rights and, unfortunately, the same trend continues on the peninsula throughout the occupation”, Darya Svyrydova said.
Radio Svoboda’s Crimean Service journalist Mykola Semena, who was directly prosecuted by the Russian occupation authorities, shared his story of criminal prosecution in Crimea.