85% less crimes against journalists investigated in 2022 – PGOU

The number of violations of journalists' rights investigated by law enforcers decreased by 85% in 2022, compared to 2021. In 2022, law enforcement agencies investigated and submitted to court four criminal cases under the "journalist articles" of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, while in 2021 the number of such cases reached 27.

The Prosecutor General's Office said so on January 13 in their response to IMI's request regarding the situation with the investigations into crimes against journalists in 2022.

Throughout 2022, law enforcement agencies registered 88 cases of crimes committed against mass media representatives.

Out of the total number of criminal cases, 62 were registered under Art. 171 ("Obstructing legal professional activities of journalists") of the Criminal Code of Ukraine; of those, 34 were closed. 23 criminal proceedings were filed under Article 345-1 ("Threats or violence against a journalist") of the CCU, 11 of them were closed.

Furthermore, law enforcers opened two criminal cases under Article 347-1 ("Deliberate destruction or damage to a journalist's property"); one of the two was closed.

One more criminal case was filed under Article 348-1 ("Attack on the life of a journalist").

All four of the criminal cases submitted to court are under Article 171 ("Obstructing legal professional activities of journalists").

We will remind you that in 2021, the number of investigations into violations of journalists' rights increased by 69% compared to 2020. Namely, in 2021, law enforcers investigated and submitted to court 27 cases under the "journalist articles" of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, whereas only 16 such cases had been investigated in 2020. In 2019, 14 such cases were submitted to court.