International structures aware of arrested Orthodox journalists in Ukraine
More and more international organizations and influential figures are learning about the alarming persecutions and arrests of UOJ journalists and human rights defenders.
Following the UN session, the 'Persecution in Ukraine' human rights initiative informed the global community about attacks on freedom of speech and religion in Ukraine.
Human rights defenders assured that repression against Orthodox journalists and priests in Ukraine will not go unnoticed by the world. "Attempts to block the UOJ website or launch DDOS attacks, which have been observed in recent days, will not help to hide the truth and prevent us from achieving justice," Persecution in Ukraine believes.
An important step in this direction was the report by Ukrainian human rights defenders at the 55th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council on April 2 regarding the arrest of UOJ journalists and human rights defenders on false and politically motivated charges.
The Persecution in Ukraine initiative has brought information about these events and statements made at the UN to the attention of the global public.
Among the dozens of organizations that have received press releases from the human rights initiative and with which communication has already been established are institutions such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and its 13 global branches, ARTICLE 19, International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), World Association of Newspapers (WAN-IFRA), Committee to Protect Journalists, Open Doors International, and other international organizations protecting Christians from persecution.
Moreover, the situation regarding the persecution of UOJ journalists and human rights defenders has been brought to the attention of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, and representatives of the OSCE on media freedom.
According to human rights defenders, "this blatant attack on freedom of speech and religion shocks foreign colleagues."
"We and the free world will not give the criminal system the silence it relies on for its misdeeds," says Persecution in Ukraine.
"The issue of freedom of speech and human rights is fundamental for the democratic world and especially fundamental for us as citizens of Ukraine. This is where we live. It is our relatives and colleagues who have ended up behind bars for honestly doing the work of journalists, fulfilling their civic and Christian duty during the persecution of their Church," believe human rights defenders.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that a resource had been created in Europe to tell the stories of Ukrainian prisoners of conscience.
