Prosecutor General investigates the murder of 57 journalists as Russia's war crimes
The Prosecutor General's Office is investigating 107 cases related to Russia's war crimes against journalists, including the murder of 57 journalists, said Oleksiy Boniuk, chief of criminal law policy and investment protection of the Prosecutor General's Office, at the press conference "Will Russia be punished for its crimes against freedom of speech in Ukraine?" organized by the Institute of Mass Information at the Media Center Ukraine in Kyiv on November 4.
He said that even before Russia's full-scale invasion, the Prosecutor General's Office signed a memorandum with the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, of which the Institute of Mass Information is a member, to investigate crimes against journalists. In 2022, a specialized department at the Office began the procedural management of investigations into Russian war crimes against journalists, Boniuk said.
The Prosecutor General's Office representative reported the following statistics regarding the investigation of Russian crimes against media professionals:
- 107 cases opened in total;
- 57* journalists murdered, eight of them foreign citizens;
- 45 journalists injured, 25 of them foreign citizens;
- 20 journalists unlawfully detained or deprived of liberty;
- one person is in captivity;
- one person is missing.
(*IMI note: the deaths of media professionals who enlisted in the army and were killed in action are not included in the Russian war crimes category.)
"These are official case material, and the cases are the basis of specific proceedings. It is extremely important to establish other details and investigate them," stressed Oleksiy Boniuk.
Oleksiy Boniuk (center), photo by Media Center Ukraine
According to him, some cases are already being tried in court: four indictments have been issued against nine persons in the order of special proceedings (in absentia, — Ed.). Of these nine, three persons were sentenced: one to 9 years in prison, two to 12 years in prison.
"Of course, it is necessary to show society the results. For this purpose, we hold consultations and communications with civil society organizations defending the rights of journalists. We will shortly meet and go through all the crimes against journalists in detail, and we will separately touch on the war crimes category," said Oleksiy Boniuk.
According to the Institute of Mass Information, as of November 5, 2024, 92 media professionals died in Ukraine as a result of Russia's full-scale invasion (as combatants, civilian casualties, and while reporting).
In addition, according to the Institute of Mass Information, at least 112 Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been detained or taken hostage by Russian or pro-Russian forces since the beginning of the Russo–Ukrainian war in 2014. 30 media professionals are still in Russian custody.
The Institute of Mass Information (IMI) is a Ukrainian non-governmental media organization that has been operating since 1996. The IMI defends the rights of journalists, analyzes the media field and covers media-related events, fights propaganda and disinformation and has been providing media outlets with safety gear for trips to the combat zone since the start of the Russo–Ukrainian war in 2014.
The IMI carries out Ukraine's only freedom of speech monitoring and keeps a list of high quality and sustainable online media outlets, documents Russia's crimes against the media committed in the course of the war on Ukraine. The IMI has representatives in 20 oblasts of Ukraine and a network of "Mediabaza" hubs to provide journalists with continuous support. The IMI's partners include Reporters Without Borders and Freedom House; the organization is a member of the International Organization for the Protection of Freedom of Expression (IFEX).
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