IMI recorded 18 "lockdown" violations of freedom of speech in Ukraine

18 incidents of freedom of expression related to the quarantine action announced through the coronavirus pandemic have been reported by the Institute of Mass Media since March 12, 2020 (since the beginning of the quarantine in Ukraine).

Last week, IMI recorded three cases of such violations - in Odessa, Lviv and Donbass. These are, as it follows:

• In Sambor, Lviv region, a security guard of the ATB supermarket obstructed work of theTV crew of the Pershyy Zakhidny TV channel, the journalists were making a story about non-compliance with quarantine rules in public places.
• The Office of the President did not invite Ukrainian journalists to cover the exchange of prisoners, which took place on April 16 at Mayorsk (Donetsk region). As the Office of the head of state explained it, such a decision was taken due to the COVID-19 pandemic and with purpose to comply with lockdown conditions. 
• In Odessa, a guard at the Illinsky Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchy pushed aphotojournalist of the Ukrainian edition of the Ukrainian Information Service (USI), Vladyslav Shvets, and knocked out his camera.

In general, most violations were reported in Kyiv and Kyiv region, in Kherson region (four cases), two cases in Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv, and one case for each of the regions: Khmelnytsky, Bukovyna, Poltava, Odessa, Donbass and Cherkasy.

We will remind, on April 14, Institute of Mass Information NGO recorded 15 violations of the freedom of speech related to lockdown measures started because of coronavirus pandemic.

We remind you, if your professional journalistic rights have been violated, please, contact us calling to IMI hotline at (050) 447 70 63 and write to [email protected].