Arrest of Orthodox journalists reported at UN

UN Headquarters in Geneva. Photo: iStock/SanderStock

On April 2, 2024, during the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council, representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church called on the international community to protect the rights of journalists and lawyers who publish information about violations of the rights of UOC believers. This was reported on the website of the human rights organization NGO Public Advocacy.

Metropolitan Theodosiy (Snigirev) and lawyer Archpriest Nikita Chekman spoke at the Human Rights Council to report on the arrests of three journalists from the "Union of Orthodox Journalists" and the online publication "Pershy Kozatsky", as well as searches at the workplaces of UOC lawyers.

These events occurred on March 12, 2024. Journalists are accused of crimes related to their professional activities. Representatives of the UOC emphasized that these actions by the authorities are aimed at effectively suppressing freedom of speech in the country.

"The arrests of three journalists of the 'Union of Orthodox Journalists' on March 12, 2024, the arrest of the UOC clergyman Father Serhiy Chertylin, as well as the suspicion of committing crimes against another ten employees of the mentioned publications, allow us to conclude an attempt to effectively eliminate independent media in Ukraine, which report violations of the rights of UOC believers, thus enabling the international community to document human rights violations," the statement said.

Representatives of the UOC, as members of the international human rights association "Church against Xenophobia and Discrimination", called on the international community to take measures to protect the rights of arrested journalists.

"In the Ukrainian context, the detention of people solely on the basis of applied preventive measures allows the state to keep journalists under arrest without substantive judicial proceedings for as long as it pleases, including without disclosing to the court and the public the full range of evidence confirming their guilt, depriving these individuals of the right to judicial protection," explained human rights activists.

They promised to facilitate maximum public and international exposure of these cases and organize international legal support for the defense of individuals who have suffered for their religious beliefs and professional activities.

Father Nikita also noted that simultaneous with the arrests of journalists, illegal searches took place at their workplaces, including those related to the "Center for Legal Protection of the UOC", a project providing legal assistance to believers and religious organizations.

"All the actions listed in aggregate confirm that the Ukrainian authorities have decided to get rid of human rights defenders and journalists who report violations of the rights of believers," the statement emphasized.

It is worth noting that this is not the first case of persecution of journalists and lawyers in Ukraine who publish information about violations of the rights of UOC believers.

It is reported that members of the international human rights association "Church against Xenophobia and Discrimination", which includes hierarchs of Local Churches from various countries, human rights activists, and journalists, will contribute to maximum public and international exposure of these cases.

They will organize international legal support for the defense of individuals – new prisoners of conscience, who have suffered for confessing their religious beliefs and engaging in professional journalistic and human rights activities.

As the UOJ reported, Orthodox journalists face life imprisonment if convicted and absense of judicial grounds for their detention and conviciton.

The UOJ also asks to help the jailed prisoners of conscience.

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