Media Movement and human rights activists call for international pressure on Russia to release journalist Oleg Baturyn

Media Movement and human rights activists urge the international community to put pressure on Russia to immediately disclose the whereabouts of journalist Oleg Baturyn, who disappeared on March 12, 2022 in Kakhovka, Kherson region. They also call for Russia to release him and strictly comply with international humanitarian and international criminal law in the context of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

On March 12, 2022, Oleg Baturyn, a journalist from the Kherson newspaper ‘Novy Den’ (‘New Day’) and investigative author at the Center of Journalistic Investigations information agency, disappeared in Kakhovka, Kherson region. According to his wife, at around 4:30 PM, Oleg went out to meet with an acquaintance, leaving his phone and documents at home. He planned to be back in 20 minutes but has yet to return. According to messages from local chats, at about 4:50 PM, Russian forces not usually present in Kakhovka were spotted near the bus station where Oleg’s meeting was to occur. Russian Armed Forces units are deployed in the neighboring town of Nova Kakhovka, where the occupiers are setting up a new administration. The involvement of local collaborators in creating the occupation’s administration was the topic of Oleg’s latest posts on social media.

The Media Movement believes that the abduction of Oleg Baturyn, a journalist and civilian, and his secret forcible detention in an unknown location during the international armed conflict in the territory controlled by the armed forces of the Russian Federation are signs of a war crime.

According to the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949, hostage-taking of persons who do not take an active part in hostilities, including members of the armed forces, is strictly prohibited and is considered a war crime.

As reported by the Center of Journalistic Investigations, the prosecutor's office of the Kherson Region has opened a criminal investigation into the abduction of Kherson journalist, Oleh Baturyn, calling it a violation of the laws and customs of war under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The Media Movement and human rights activists urge the international community to put pressure on Russia to immediately disclose the current location of journalist Oleg Baturyn, who disappeared on March 12, 2022 in Kakhovka, Kherson region, and the grounds and location of his detention. We urge pressure on Russia to release Oleg Baturyn and adhere to international humanitarian and criminal law in the context of the armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

Russia is a country with almost zero tolerance for independent media. Russia's repressive policy towards journalists has been a part of everyday life in the occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the cities of Sevastopol, and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since the first days of the occupation. As Russian troops advance, more and more Ukrainians are facing the despotism, arbitrariness, and impunity of the Russian occupiers that affect many groups of people, including journalists.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Institute of Mass Information has identified more than 50 war crimes committed by the Russian military against journalists and the media. In particular, the murder and shelling of Ukrainian and foreign journalists, cessation of broadcasting and seizure of television and radio organizations’ property and the activities of other media outlets.

Media Movement is a community that brings together journalists from leading Ukrainian media, investigative journalists, and experts from media NGOs.

The Media Movement "Media for a Conscious Choice"  was created on February 5, 2019. The first signatories to the Media Movement's memorandum were UA:Pershyi, Ukrainian Radio, Hromadske Radio, “Ukrinform” information agency, “Interfax-Ukraine” information agency, Liga.net, Dzerkalo Tyzhnya. Ukraine, NV, Censor.Net, Channel 5, The Ukrainian Week, Opinion, and a number of regional media, NGOs – Detector Media, Independent Media Council, Institute of Mass Information, Internews Ukraine, Center for Democracy and Rule of Law, Souspilnist Foundation, the National Association of Media, the Donetsk Institute of Information, the Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy, the ZMINA Human Rights Center and other organizations, individual journalists — over 70 participants in total. 

On November 16, 2021, representatives of the leading Ukrainian media encouraged journalists to unite in the professional community to resist political and commercial pressure on freedom of speech. The statement was initiated by 29 journalists and experts, whose names are available at the link.

Media Movement

NGO "Detector Media"
NGO "Institute of Mass Media"
IA "Center for Journalistic Investigations"
Center for Civil Liberties
Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union
Kharkiv Human Rights Group
Crimean Human Rights Group
Human Rights Center “ZMINA”
Charitable Foundation "Vostok SOS"
NGO "INFLUENCE GROUP"
“Chesno” Movement
CrimeaSOS
Regional Center for Human Rights
NGO "Center for Joint Action"
NGO "Cherkasy Human Rights Center"
NGO "Legal Development Network"
NGO "Hromadske Radio"
NGO "IPC Media Center — Kherson"
NGO "Institute for Regional Press Development"
Human Rights Educational House — Chernihiv
NGO "Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center"
NGO "Human Rights Platform

Photo: personal archive of Oleg Baturyn