Over the past 4 years, the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) has recorded 35 cases that suggest Russia has been systematically using criminal law, sentences passed in absentia, arrests, searches, and unlawful imprisonment as tools to put pressure on journalists.
IMI’s data showed that Russia has been using pseudo-legal mechanisms to target not just Ukrainian journalists, but also nationals of other countries who were reporting on the war in Ukraine. Such actions suggest politically motivated persecution and are meant to intimidate journalists, criminalise their work, and curtail the spread of information about the war and Russia’s war crimes.
Prosecuting journalists in relation to the armed conflict was the most commonly used method (12 cases). This mainly involved Russia opening criminal law cases against journalists and camerapeople for reporting from areas of ongoing hostilities or those controlled by Ukrainian forces. These cases included prosecution of journalists with RAI, CNN, DW, ABC News, France 24, hromadske, Kordon.Media, and other news outlets.
Sentences passed in absentia ranked second, with IMI recording nine such cases. Russian courts have sentenced Ukrainian journalists, TV hosts, and media workers in absentia to long prison terms, ranging from 5 to 14 years. The charges included sharing “fake news” about the Russian army, “inciting hatred”, “calls for terrorism” or “extremism”. For isntance, Russia has sentenced IMI’s media expert and journalist Iryna Zemlyana in absentia to 13 years in prison on false charges.
“Russia’s sentences in absentia are not justice, but an attempt to intimidate Ukrainian media workers and restrict their freedom. The 13 years of imprisonment that I have been sentenced to, as well as similar prison terms handed down to my colleagues, are retaliation for my work and for the truth about the war. The Russians are using the Russian Criminal Code as a tool for international terrorism as well,” says Iryna Zemlyana.
Another five journalists were arrested in absentia. In these cases, Russian courts have ruled to detain journalists in absentia, mainly for their reporting from the Kursk region. Such rulings put journalists in permanent danger of being detained in person if Russia attempts to pursue its interests through international mechanisms.
IMI also recorded four instances of journalists being put on the wanted list. This list includes persecution of Natalia Moseychuk, Yanina Sokolova, Dmytro Gordon, and Vladyslav Balinskyi. Some of these cases involved the risk of Russia abusing international wanted person search mechanisms such as Interpol.
Unlawful imprisonment of journalists in the occupied territories, followed by illegal court verdicts, were another category: IMI recorded four instances of this. These included the cases of Herohiy Levchenko, Vladyslav Hershon, Yana Suvorova, and citizen journalist Vilen Temeryanov. Russia or the occupation authorities are effectively punishing people for running news webpages, citizen journalism, or documenting events in the occupied territories.
Another instance of this was the detention of ATR journalist Gulsum Halilova at an Istanbul airport, which was done at Russia’s request through Interpol. She was later released.
The Institute of Mass Information director Oksana Romaniuk emphasises that these were not one-off cases, but part of Russia’s consistent policy of pressuring journalists.
“Russia weaponises the law against journalists. It tries to pass political persecution off as judicial procedures, opens criminal law probes, passes sentences in absentia, puts journalists on the wanted list, uses occupation courts and tries to involve international mechanisms. Journalists who document the war are not criminals. On the contrary, they perform a socially necessary function. Russia wants there to be no witnesses where it is committing crimes. That is why persecuting journalists should be viewed not just as a press freedom violation, but as an element of a broader policy of covering up war crimes and suppressing the truth,” Oksana Romaniuk said.
IMI believes that each such case should be documented for proper legal assessment at the national and international levels with particular focus on Russia’s attempts to use Interpol and other international legal mechanisms to persecute journalists.
