Ukraine: CFWIJ Condemns Attacks On Journalists By Invading Military Forces

Location: Ukraine, Kyiv
Date: March 14, 2022

As the Russian invasion forces continue to make advances in Ukraine, at least two journalists have been killed and a number of media workers in the country, local and foreign, have come under attack. Earlier this month, Majda Slamova, a journalist from Czech Republic and three of her colleagues came under the fire of Russian soldiers as they drove through Makariv, near Kyiv. Fortunately, they were able to escape unscathed.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly condemns the attacks on journalists and media workers by the invading army. We reiterate that journalists are never legitimate targets and call on all military forces to respect the rights of the press as enshrined by international humanitarian law.

The attack on Majda, Vojtech Bohac, her colleague from Czech media outlet Voxpot, and two Ukrainian journalists affiliated with Central TV, was not an isolated one. Similar attacks on media workers in Ukraine have preceded and followed the offensive they survived on March 2. Russian military forces have also launched missile strikes at four radio and TV towers, leaving at least 32 broadcast stations affected.

In a video posted on Facebook (Meta) by Voxpot, gunshot sounds can be heard as Majda and her colleagues purportedly flee the attack. 

“Yesterday was more action than we wanted. At one point, we, together with our Ukrainian colleagues, came across the Russians,” Majda wrote on Facebook (Meta) on March 3. Russian soldiers opened fire at their vehicle despite it being marked as “press”, she wrote.

“In the morning, I found ammo from [a] Kalashnikov, which shot at us.”

Včera se naši reportéři Vojtěch Boháč a Majda Slamova ocitli spolu se svými dvěma ukrajinskými kolegy z televize Central v městečku Makariv severozápadně od Kyjeva pod palbou ruské armády.
I když útočníci prostřelili dveře auta, všichni čtyři novináři jsou v pořádku. pic.twitter.com/WUVeic8wJ0

— Voxpot (@Voxpot) March 3, 2022

Victoria Roschina, a journalist affiliated with Ukrainian news portal Hromadske, reportedly survived a similar attack by Russian forces last week. Victoria was reporting from the Zaporizhzhia region when Russian soldiers opened fire at her car, which was marked “press” and looted her, according to press watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 

On March 13, Brent Renaud, an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, was killed by Russian fire in Irpin- a suburb of the capital, Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry. Two other journalists were injured in the attack. “Brent was in the region working on a TIME Studios project focused on the global refugee crisis,” TIME said in a statement issued shortly after the killing. 

Moreover, Russian military forces have attacked at least four radio and television towers as the war rages on. A hit on the Kyiv TV tower left five dead, including Evgeny Sakun, a cameraman working for the Kyiv Live local TV channel who was on site. 

The missile strikes also prevented Ukrainian media from broadcasting with at least 32 TV channels and dozens of radio stations affected by the hits. Other TV towers were targeted in Korosten, Lysychansk and Kharkiv. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the attacks on journalists and broadcasting stations and extends solidarity to our colleagues in Ukraine. We reiterate that journalists are not legitimate targets in any war and urge the military forces to limit the loss of life. The CFWIJ has keptclosely monitored tensions in the Eastern European region, which surmounted after Russia launched afull-scale military invasion into Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The violence and aggression has put many of our colleagues in both the countries at risk as journalists strive to bring accurate information to citizens and the international community at large. We extend our support to our colleagues in Russia as well as they face increased encroachments by the Kremlin on their right to report independently, especially about the invasion. Journalists on the ground are risking their lives daily to ensure that truth does not fall prey to the war and channels of information are not manipulated. Their rights and safety, as secured under international humanitarian law, must be protected. To join the call of CFWIJ for their safety and protection, you can sign our petition here.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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