Ukraine/Russia: Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell in the EP plenary on the protection of journalists reporting on the war

Opening remarks

Thank you very much, Madame President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

Let me start by something that you unfortunately already know:

Russia lacks any respect for media freedom inside its own country. It also blatantly disrespects protection of journalists in conflict zones. Inside the country, the space for media has dramatically shrunk after the start of full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Many media outlets were forced to terminate their operations, the majority of independent journalists have left the country, and many are actually being persecuted.

It is this appalling crackdown on independent media but also spilled over to the frontline and the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia. It is [also] there that Russia harasses, intimidates and uses violence against journalists and media workers.

This is exactly what you'd think it is. This is a clear attempt to silence them in order not to let the world receive full and impartial information about what is actually going on. They are trying to prevent the exposure of Russian state-sponsored disinformation about [the] war they wage in Ukraine.

According to Reporters without Borders, more than 100 journalists have been victims of Russian crimes since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. This includes at least 35 wounded, 12 detained, as well as 233 media outlets closed in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia.

Ladies, gentlemen, it is the appalling case of last week's death of a Ukrainian freelance journalist Victoria Roshchyna while in illegal arbitrary Russian detention that is yet another example of Russian disregard for media freedom and international commitments.

Victoria Roshchyna was a renowned Ukrainian journalist, covering Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. She was a recipient of the "Courage in Journalism Award" for her work and was determined to bring the truth about Russia's brutal war of aggression and its illegal occupation of Ukraine to the world. That is what she was doing.

According to the available information, Victoria Roshchyna died while being transferred to Moscow from a prison in Taganrog. It is the Russian authorities, and no one else, who have assumed full responsibility for her safety, for her health and physical integrity when they arbitrarily detained her in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories in August 2023.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to make it worse: she is the thirteenth murdered journalist since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and it is absolutely outrageous.

Lately, the Russian Federal Security Service decided to initiate criminal cases against journalists covering Ukraine's counter-offensive operation in Kursk. Now, already 14 foreign journalists are subject to such utterly ridiculous charges. It is again, a clear attempt to intimidate journalists and discourage them from performing their professional duties. We cannot allow that.

Honourable Members,

The European Union's position is straightforward. Journalists and media workers alike play an indispensable role in providing accurate and timely coverage from war zones, ensuring that information about the realities and impact of war can actually reach a global audience, including us. Journalists are considered civilians under international humanitarian law and should be actively protected in all conflict situations.

The European Union has, and will, condemn any form of Russia's ongoing harassment, intimidation and violence against journalists and media workers covering war zones and frontlines. For them, safety and protection must be ensured at all times. There can be no impunity, and I say it again, there can and will be no impunity, for human rights violations and abuses against journalists.

Thank you.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-262926

Closing remarks

Thank you, President, and thank you very much dear Members,

Our approach towards Russia is clear: we support Ukraine for as long as necessary; we will isolate Russia, we will impose sanctions to hinder Russia's war machine, we will stand up for human rights and we will stand up for the press, for our journalists.

Today's debate highlights the vital role of journalists, and the vital role they play in war zones, including in covering Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Thank you for bringing more names of the brave men and women who have been there and who have been reporting into this debate.

We will also continue to call Russia out for its violations of international law. We did so most recently at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), regarding Russia's ongoing intimidation and ongoing harassment of journalists in war zones and frontlines.

It was the High Representative's Spokesperson issued a public statement on the death of Victoria Roshchyna in Russian captivity on October 11^th. In our view, it is absolutely essential that we have a thorough and independent investigation that fully clarifies all the circumstances of Victoria Roshchyna's death as soon as possible.

We will demand Russia to stop the abuse of its criminal system to intimidate journalists and other citizens by launching politically motivated criminal investigations against them.

In short, the European Union will remain steadfast in its commitment to protect media freedom and the safety of journalists, both at home and abroad.

Thank you very much.

Link to video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-262927

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