Ukraine: Front line coverage of coronavirus threatens safety of women journalists
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UKRAINE, April 22, 2020: Women journalists in Ukraine have been attacked while reporting various developments on Covid-19 in the field. Many of them have been physically assaulted and intimidated by protestors who had been agitated by the ongoing lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the attacks on journalists and urges authorities in Ukraine to provide a safe working environment to them. We also demand that those involved in the attacks are strictly dealt with.
Following the coverage of Covid-19 lockdown in Kiev on April 2, ZIK TV reporter Alla Zhiznevska and her crew were attacked by citizens who were opposing restrictions placed due to coronavirus in the city. She was pushed by a young man, who disregarded the law Hydropark, a playground where he comes to play. He also assaulted the crew and tried to damage the equipment. One of the attackers, who assaulted Alla, is said to be under house arrest since April 7; however, the rest of the attackers have not been brought to book.
Another incident took place on April 2 when Dina Zelenskaya - an Espresso TV reporter - was attacked by a man, along with her crew. They were reporting whether restaurants in Kiev were complying with lockdown or not, which is when the man threw Dina’s phone and the crew’s camera into the nearby river.
Galina Eremitsa - a reporter of a local news website Chernivtsi.Online - was attacked by two orthodox church-goers on March 30. The attackers tried to break Galina’s camera, while she was reporting the state of churches during quarantine in Chernivtsi - a western city in Ukraine. Before the attack, she tried to enter the church and check whether the restrictions on religious gathering were being followed or not, but an unidentified man stopped her from going inside. Galiana filed a complaint with the police after which the men were identified.
Alina Sheremeta, a Hromadske TV reporter, was insulted by a man, who also followed her after she filmed her report at a store in the Ukrainian capital on March 24. Another incident took place outside the Kiev Monastery of the Caves where RFE/RL journalists were impeded by the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra security guards on March 19. Journalists also faced obstruction by local authorities in different cities across Ukraine, as they were denied to attend meetings related to updates regarding coronavirus.
Journalists are essential personnel during these challenging times and to attack them for doing their job on the ground is unacceptable. Covid-19 has rocked several countries around the world, as they cope to deal with its unique dynamics. In times like this, keeping up with news and information becomes all the more crucial. Therefore, the services of journalists are immensely indispensable.
Given how critical the safety and security of journalists is, especially during this time, CFWIJ would urge Ukrainian authorities to investigate these attacks on them and bring their perpetrators to justice.
