04.03 Journalists Facing Harassment in Crimea, East Ukraine

MOSCOW, March 4 (RIA Novosti) – International media rights advocates have sounded the alarm over harassment of reporters attempting to cover unfolding events in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, where resistance is mounting to the newly installed central government.

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe press freedom representative Dunja Mijatovic said Monday she was concerned over reports that local broadcasters have been shut down and journalists attacked in full view of police.

“Silencing media is not acceptable under any circumstances, and especially not in times of crisis,” Mijatovic said in a statement.

Nerves are on edge in the heavily ethnic Russian-populated south and east of Ukraine, where protests have been sparked over fears of overtly aggressive nationalist policy-making by the interim government that has come into place since last month’s ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych.

In the Crimean Peninsula, Russian troops have fanned out, securing strategic spots in what Moscow describes as a peace-keeping operation aimed at protecting the civilian population, but which Western nations have roundly condemned as an act of aggression.

Specific details on developments have been scarce, a situation seemingly compounded by working conditions for journalists.