Russia: CFWIJ condemns the harassment of journalists at protests across Russia

/
0.jpg

January 23, 2021— According to media reports, at least 50 incidents of journalists obstructed in the field have been recorded. Several journalists were detained in 17 major cities throughout Russia while reporting on the recent protests. Although women journalists had their press cards and credentials, it didn't stop security forces from torturing them. Sixteen journalists were detained in St. Petersburg alone. Elizaveta Kirpanova, a Novaya Gazeta special correspondent, was hit by security officials wielding truncheons. CFWIJ finds these assaults quite alarming, and we urge state authorities to ensure the safety of journalists.

Elizaveta Kirpanova, a correspondent for Novaya Gazeta, was pushed to the ground while reporting from Pushkin Square, Moscow.  The journalist was wearing her press vest when she was hit in the head with a truncheon. Another female journalist, Vera Ryabitskaya of The Insider, was tortured during her arrest in St. Petersburg. She, too, was beaten with a truncheon and thrown to the ground.

Daria Belikova also described her experience at a protest in Orenburg, saying she has never seen anything like this in her ten years of reporting experience. Daria, who reports for the Echo of Moscow, described the situation as depressing. According to the journalist, security officials entered the crowd and brutally beat people with truncheons.

Aleksandra Godfroid, a correspondent for Al Jazeera, said that there were violent clashes between police and protestors, using their batons to beat people down. The police detained thousands of people in one of the biggest unauthorized rallies in central Moscow.

Several countries and human rights watch organizations have widely condemned the use of force against journalists. The U.S. state department also denounced the harsh tactics against protestors and journalists. 

The Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders, rated Russia at 149 out of 180 countries in 2020. The Coalition For Women In Journalism reported one case of physical assault, five cases of legal harassment, two cases of detainment, and one incident of state oppression in 2020.  

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the latest crackdown on journalists across Russia. We urge the Russian authorities to ensure the safety of journalists and respect the principles of press freedom in the country. We firmly believe that no journalist should face harassment for doing their job.