An alarming incident unfolded on April 6, when investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info revealed that one of its journalists, Yevheny Shulhat, had been targeted in what appeared to be an intimidation effort by authorities. The incident took place at a mall near Shulhat’s residence in Kyiv, Ukraine, where military recruitment officials approached him in an attempt to hand him a summons notice that could have resulted in his drafting into the Ukrainian army.
While the martial law regulations in Ukraine allow men in Shulhat’s age group to be legally drafted, the circumstances surrounding this incident raised suspicions that it was not a routine operation as mandated by Ukrainian laws. Notably, Shulhat was in the midst of preparing an investigation into Ilia Vitiuk, the head of the cybersecurity department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Surveillance footage indicated that Oleksiy Bilenko, an aide to Vitiuk, was present at the mall before Shulhat’s arrival, seemingly coordinating the activities of the military personnel who attempted to serve him the summons notice.
This incident adds to a concerning trend of intimidation directed towards investigative journalists in Ukraine, following similar instances involving the team at Bihus.Info and reporter Yuri Nikolov. Despite the authorities’ efforts to investigate these cases, the recurrence of such incidents highlights systemic issues in the protection of investigative journalists in the country.
In response to these developments, the International Press Institute (IPI) has addressed a letter to Ukrainian authorities, including Prosecutor-General Andriy Kostin, SBU Head Vasyl Maliuk, Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, and Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov. The letter, dated April 12, 2024, expresses deep concern over the irregular manner in which Shulhat was served the summons and calls for systemic efforts to safeguard the rights of journalists in Ukraine.
The letter underscores the need for transparency and accountability in investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident involving Shulhat. It poses critical questions about potential surveillance, the basis for targeting Shulhat, the role of SBU officials in military conscription efforts, and the need for safeguards against the targeting of journalists for their work.
Furthermore, the IPI urges Ukrainian authorities to establish measures that prevent retaliation against journalists and ensure the protection of those who report on misconduct or crimes by state officials. The incident involving Shulhat, along with other recent cases of intimidation against investigative journalists, raises concerns about state-sponsored harassment in Ukraine, underscoring the importance of upholding press freedom and journalistic integrity..
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