IMI: In August, journalists' rights were violated mostly by ordinary citizens

In August, in Ukraine the main violations of journalists' rights were cases of impeding jourtalist activities - 10 and blocking access to information - 5. This data are given in monthly monitoring Press Freedom Barometer by the Institute of Mass Information.

IMI registered cases of violations of press freedom and journalists' rights in 12 regions. Thus, the leaders of these violations were Kyiv and Kyiv region, where 4 cases of violations were registered, and also Mykolaiv region with the same number of cases.

The most frequently violations journalists' rights this month were made by ordinary citizens - 10 cases, police and deputy - 3 cases. The Security Service, a party member, utility services and state administration also did it.

In August, the number of impeding journalist activities slightly decreased compared to the previous month, but it is the most active category of violations. This month the most cases were registered in Mykolayiv and Lviv regions. Journalists were forbidden to shoot, particularly during the early parliamentary elections, the media were forbidden to attend the meeting of the regional council of deputies. IMI recorded one case that occurred in Rivne, where deputies doused the journalist with alcohol.

This month IMI recorded a decrease in the number of threats - 3 cases (in July -  6, in June -  2, in May - 5, in April - 5, in March - 3, in February - 5, in January - 3). Journalists were threatened mainly by physical contact. The loudest case occurred in Poltava, where an advocate threatened to shave bald a journalistof Hromadske TV because she was shooting in court. Police, utility services and RSA denied journallists access to information or refused to provide it, or not fully provided it.

Moreover, 1 case of censorship, indirect pressure and legal pressure was registered. However, this month IMI did not record any cases of assaultsand it is for the first time since the beginning of the year.

In Russia occupied Crimea IMI recorded 5 cases - on the peninsula they continue to block pro-Ukrainian sites in the Crimea.

Thus, from the beginning of the year, IMI registered 1 case of murder, 71 cases of impeding journalist activities, 24 cases of assaults and attacks on journalists and 7 cases of censorship.

"Freedom of Speech Barometer" is an analytical product of monthly monitoring of freedom of speech in Ukraine, conducted by NGO "Institute of Mass Information" in support of "U-Media" project, implemented by "Internews Network" supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and by support Non-Profit Organization "National Endowment for Democracy» (NED). The "Network of media observers", working within the "Freedom of Speech Barometer" project, funded with support from Freedom House, the international human rights organization, and the Foreign Ministry of Norway.