Ukraine's Government Continues Restrictions On Media Freedom - Rights Group

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2019) The Ukrainian government is involved in restrictions of freedom of information and media freedom and has engaged in the practice of mistreating and prosecuting journalists, Human Rights Watch said in a report on rights violations in Ukraine in 2018.

"The Ukrainian government continued restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of information, and media freedom, seeking to justify them by citing the need to counter Russia's military aggression in eastern Ukraine and anti-Ukraine propaganda," the report said on Thursday.

According to the media freedom watchdog Institute for Mass Information, 201 press freedom violations took place in 23 regions of Ukraine, the report noted.

"These ranged from threats and intimidation to restricting journalists' access to information," the report said.

The report listed examples repression and abuse of a number of journalists, including the Ukraine-based editor of the Russian RIA Novosti newswire service Kirill Vyshinsky. The Ukrainian government arrested Vyshinsky on charges of treason charges for allegedly participating in propaganda campaigns, the report said.

In May, Ukraine's security service SBU deported two journalists from Russia's main television channel, Channel 1, alleging that they had planned to spread disinformation about Ukraine, the report added.