PEC Condoles Demise Of Ukrainian Journalists In Russian Aggression

Global media safety and rights body, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) on Saturday condoled the demise of two Ukrainian journalists in the week of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

PEC urged the United Nations (UN) to recognize their professional services for disseminating authentic information about the ongoing conflicts while appreciating the restrained role played by the mainstream media outlets and responsible journalism pursued by a large number of media persons on the ground.

Journalist Shakirov Dilerbek Shukurovych, who hailed from Kherson locality, died on February 26 and television cameraman Yevhenii Sakun lost his life in the Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv on March 1.

Both were victims of the Russian military aggression in Ukraine that started February 24, disregarding international laws. PEC had already condemned the Russian actions in the strongest terms and had appealed to all concerned to ensure the safety and security of journalists who were engaged in professional duties.

The secretary general of PEC, Blaise Lempen said, “PEC also urged all parties to refrain from spreading propaganda for war or incitement to hostility or violence. We stand in solidarity with independent Russian media who continue to report the truth in an unprecedented situation.”

He added, “Moreover, we demanded the Russian authorities not to censor independent media reporting about the invasion and to avoid detaining journalists who were covering the anti-war protests.”

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Earlier, international media forum had condemned the Russian missile attack on the TV tower of Kyiv that facilitated broadcasting of radio and television news. Lately, it lauded the adoption of a resolution by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council condemning the rights violations and abuses in Ukraine and asking for an early withdrawal of Russian troops.

Moreover, an independent international commission of inquiry should be established to probe into the violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian laws in Ukraine, it added.

Notably, European media outlets usually maintain their responsible journalism avoiding the exposure of human dead from the battlefield.

Many mainstream media outlets in India, which are relatively independent among south & southeast Asian nations, are also reporting from the ground with standard guidelines, said PEC’s India representative Nava Thakuria.

Thakuria added that it’s a welcome change for the Indian media, which usually goes unleashed on reporting the human tragedies with unsolicited visuals if it happens to their own people.

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