Ukraine

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Spotlight: Attacks Ukraine

Ukrainian journalist Vadim Komarov beaten into coma

7 May 2019
By Cathal Sheerin

Vadim Komarov's colleagues believe that the attack was connected to his work. He frequently wrote about corruption, embezzlement of city budget funds, administrative incompetence, illegal construction and prison conditions.

Attacks Ukraine Gender

Ahead of the elections, what are Ukraine's key human rights problems?

Corruption, the rise of far right groups and threats to the press, the LGBTQI+ community and rights activists are some of the problems facing whoever wins the election on 31 March.

‎ Human Rights Watch (HRW)‎26 March 2019

Impunity Attacks Ukraine Gender

Ukraine: Physical assaults against female journalists rise by 50% in 2018

Attacks against female journalists started to increase once offenders saw there was little risk of being punished.

‎ European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) - INTERIM MEMBER‎ 2 February 2019

Ukraine Free Expression & the Law Freedom of Assembly

Ukraine: Rights should not be restricted under new martial law

On 27 November, Ukrainian lawmakers voted to impose martial law in ten regions that border Russia; under this special measure, the government has the power to restrict numerous basic rights including the rights to free expression and assembly.

‎ Human Rights Watch (HRW)‎28 November 2018

Latest from Ukraine

Is Ukraine set to recriminalize defamation?

‎ Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Ukraine Free Expression & the Law 23 November 2018
Illiberal democracies: Awash in media without plurality

‎ Index on Censorship

Access to Information Azerbaijan Europe & Central Asia Turkey Russia Censorship Ukraine 26 August 2018
Ukraine: Fears that separatists could charge journalist Stanislav Aseyev with spying

‎ Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Attacks Ukraine 26 July 2018
Ukraine: Turkish journalist Yunus Erdogdu on detention and deportation list

‎ International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

Attacks Ukraine 24 July 2018
Ukraine: Staged Babchenko 'murder' spotlights journalists' distrust of government

‎ Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Impunity Attacks Ukraine 6 June 2018
Fikret Huseynli is second journalist to be arrested on Interpol red notice

‎ Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Azerbaijan Ukraine Free Expression & the Law 18 October 2017
Two more victims of information war in Ukraine

‎ Reporters Without Borders

Ukraine 11 August 2017
Ukraine: Drop government proposals that restrict NGO activity

‎ ARTICLE 19

Ukraine Free Expression & the Law 13 July 2017
Ukraine bans Russian social media sites

‎ By Cathal Sheerin for IFEX

Access to Information Digital Rights Ukraine 19 May 2017
Ukraine's new law targets anti-corruption activists, journalists

‎ Human Rights Watch

Ukraine Free Expression & the Law 11 April 2017
Assessing the state of freedom in Ukraine is no easy task

‎ Freedom House

Access to Information Ukraine Free Expression & the Law 14 February 2017
Belarusian journalist Pavel Sheremet killed in car blast in Ukraine

‎ Belarusian Association of Journalists

Attacks Ukraine 21 July 2016
Poroshenko bars 17 Russian reporters from entering Ukraine

‎ Human Rights Watch

Censorship Ukraine 1 June 2016
Ukraine: List revealing journalists who sought accreditation in east "irresponsible"

‎ International Press Institute

Digital Rights Ukraine 16 May 2016
Banning of Mejlis' activity could lead to criminalization of ethnic identity in Crimea

‎ Freedom House

Russia Ukraine 28 April 2016
Ukraine: 2015 saw fewer attacks on journalists, increased restrictions on access to information

‎ Institute of Mass Information

Attacks Censorship Ukraine 19 January 2016
Journalists impeded from reporting on local elections in Ukraine

‎ Institute of Mass Information

Attacks Censorship Ukraine 27 October 2015
Ukraine: Dozens of journalists banned

‎ Human Rights Watch

Censorship Ukraine Free Expression & the Law 18 September 2015
Journalists and protestors injured following clashes in front of Ukrainian parliament

‎ International Federation of Journalists

Attacks Ukraine Freedom of Assembly 4 September 2015
Incidents of aggression decreasing, but press freedom climate remains grim

‎ Institute of Mass Information

Attacks Censorship Ukraine 7 July 2015
Ukrainian journalist killed in Kiev

‎ Erin Woycik for IFEX

Attacks Ukraine 22 April 2015
Russian FSB agents in Crimea charge journalist, interrogate another

‎ Committee to Protect Journalists

Russia Ukraine 13 March 2015
Ukraine's broken trust

‎ Caro Rolando for IFEX

Impunity Attacks Censorship Ukraine 30 January 2015
Alarm over the creation of "Orwellian" information ministry in Ukraine

‎ International Federation of Journalists

Censorship Ukraine Free Expression & the Law 10 December 2014
New report documents human rights decline in Crimea

‎ Human Rights Watch

Impunity Russia Ukraine Free Expression & the Law 17 November 2014
Crimea: Pro-Ukraine activists amongst seven people missing since May 2014

‎ Human Rights Watch

Russia Ukraine 7 October 2014

At a glance

members working in this country 1

Institute of Mass Information

Most covered free expression issues in this country

More from Ukraine

Freedom on the Net 2017: Ukraine

Renowned independent journalist Pavel Sheremet of the Ukrayinska Pravda website was murdered in a car bomb attack in Kyiv, likely in retaliation for his reporting

Freedom House 16 November 2017
Freedom of the Press 2017: Ukraine

Violence, threats, intimidation, and harassment against media professionals and organizations continued; in the most alarming case of the year, a car bomb killed prominent journalist Pavel Sheremet in July.

Freedom House 27 April 2017
Facing reality after the Euromaidan: The situation of journalists and media in Ukraine

“After the initial optimism during the Euromaidan movement, many journalists have become disillusioned. They are faced with the triple challenge of the war in the Eastern part of the country, the economic crisis and the digitalization of mass media.”

Reporters Without Borders 30 June 2016

Freedom of the Press 2016: Ukraine

Several pieces of media legislation were passed, including laws on access to information, protections for journalists who are attacked in the course of their work, and the privatization of publicly owned print media.

Freedom House 23 April 2016

Analysis of the media situation in the southern and eastern oblasts of Ukraine

Joint research report by the Institute of Mass Information and GfK Ukraine

Institute of Mass Information 16 March 2016

Freedom on the Net 2015: Ukraine

"Online journalists, activists, and bloggers in eastern Ukraine were subject to extralegal intimidation and were beaten, tortured, kidnapped"

Freedom House 31 October 2015

Freedom of the Press 2015: Ukraine

Ranked 125th in annual global media freedom report

Freedom House 1 May 2015

Freedom in the World 2014: Ukraine

Police cede Independence Square to protesters after two brutal, yet failed attempts to clear downtown core

Freedom House 1 May 2014

Attacks on the Press in 2013: Ukraine

"Police, security services accused of assaulting reporters"

Committee to Protect Journalists 11 February 2014

World Press Freedom Index 2014: Ukraine

Ranked 127th in annual press freedom index

Reporters Without Borders 1 February 2014

World Report 2014: Ukraine

Government bans all public events to block Pride Equality March

Human Rights Watch 22 January 2014

One Step Forward, One Step Back: An Assessment of Freedom of Expression in Ukraine during its OSCE Chairmanship

In spite of the generally high quality of legislation, the reality of implementation is less impressive. Citizens may freely express their views, and collect and disseminate information, but access to free and pluralistic media and to public information held by the authorities is inadequate. Journalists’ working conditions are not secure enough to work safely and remedies for violations of journalists’ rights or attacks on journalists are ineffective.

Freedom House 2 December 2013