Human rights activists called on OSCE to make pressure on Russia for media suppression in Crimea
The Crimean Human Rights Group has called on the OSCE to increase pressure on Russia to end the mass media suppression and other illegitimate restrictions of free speech in Crimea, as the Crimean Human Rights Group reported it on its website.
Iryna Sedova , expert for Crimean human rights group, spoke of strengthening of the blockade of Ukrainian independent media in Crimea on June 23 during an online OSCE meeting.
This policy has significantly limited access to information of independent Ukrainian online media and FM radio stations for residents of the annexed Crimea, as the human rights activist said. Amid the pandemic, as Sedova added, Russia's policy in Crimea further aggravated the situation, people has been deprived of access to independent news reports about the pandemic in Ukraine. This may affect lives and health of these people.
Sedova explained that in the north of Crimea, Ukrainian FM broadcasting is deliberately blocked, Russian radio stations broadcast on Ukrainian frequencies.
"In this context, the Crimean Human Rights Group calls on the representatives of the OSCE members states to step up pressure on the Russian Federation to stop suppressing mass media and other illegal restrictions on freedom of speech in Crimea. And also to make the Russian Federation stop violating a number of obligations to other OSCE members states, ” the statement reads.
As IMI reported, the Crimean Human Rights Group reported that in June reception of the Ukrainian FM radio signal in the Russian-occupied Crimea (in the north of the peninsula) deteriorated compared to the previous monitoring in March. In June, the signal of Ukrainian FM radio stations was heard in only five of the 19 settlements.
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