Ban RT propaganda, Solidarity with Ukraine

by Edward Steen, Secretary-General. Vienna, February 25, 2022

The AEJ has co-signed the statement of solidarity with our colleagues in Ukraine below, and is separately and independently calling for the immediate ban on Russia Today broadcasts in all EU countries as a blatant weapon of mis- and disinformation, among them the falsehood that Ukrainian President Zelensky has been instructed by the USA to flee Kyiv. See resolution.

Germany has already banned RT after Deutche Welle, along with other western news media such as RT/RL, was kicked out of Russia.

William Horsley, AEJ Media Freedom Representative based in London, writes that the statement below, coordinated by Justice for Journalists, has issued the following statement co-signed by the AEJ along with more than 40 media and press freedom organisations. 

Issued on the second day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the statement utterly condemns the state violence and aggression by Russia that puts thousands of journalists in Ukraine in grave danger. It condemns the cyberattacks and disinformation employed by the aggressors against the free Ukrainian media. And the more than 40 signatory organisations send a message of solidarity to those independent Russian media which continue to report the truth in conditions of unprecedented intimidation and pressure in their country.  

SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE AND UKRAINIAN JOURNALISTS

February 25, 2021 

We, the undersigned organisations, stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, but particularly Ukrainian journalists who now find themselves at the frontlines of a large-scale European war.

We unilaterally condemn the violence and aggression that puts thousands of our colleagues all over Ukraine in grave danger.

We call on the international community to provide any possible assistance to those who are taking on the brave role of reporting from the war zone that is now Ukraine. 

We condemn the physical violence, cyberattacks, disinformation and all other weapons employed by the aggressor against the free and democratic Ukrainian press. 

We also stand in solidarity with independent Russian media who continue to report the truth in unprecedented conditions.

Signed: 

1. Justice for Journalists Foundation 
2. Index on Censorship
3. International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil Soz” 
4. International Media Support (IMS)
5. Yerevan Press Club 
6. Turkmen.news 
7. Free Press Unlimited
8. Human Rights Center “Viasna”
9. Albanian Helsinki Committee
10.  Media Rights Group, Azerbaijan 
11.  European Centre for Press and Media Freedom
12.  Association of European Journalists
13.  School of Peacemaking and Media Technology in Central Asia 
14.  Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan
15.  Reporters Without Borders, RSF
16.  Association of Independent Press of Moldova, API 
17.  Public Association “Dignity”, Kazakhstan
18.  PEN International 
19.  Human Rights House Foundation, Norway
20.  IFEX
21.  UNITED for Intercultural Action
22.  Human Rights House Yerevan
23.  Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Vanadzor, Armenia
24.  Rafto Foundation for Human Rights, Norway
25.  Society of Journalists, Warsaw
26.  The Swedish OSCE-network
27.  Hungarian Helsinki Committee 
28.  Legal policy research centre, Kazakhstan
29.  Public Foundation Notabene, Tajikistan 
30.  HR NGO “Citizens’ Watch, St. Petersburg, Russia
31.  English PEN
32.  Public organization “Dawn”, Tajikistan
33.  International Press Institute (IPI)
34.  The Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan 
35. ARTICLE 19
36. Human Rights House Tbilisi
37. Rights Georgia
38. Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, Azerbaijan
39. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
40. Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
41. Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
42. European Federation of Journalists
43. Social Media Development Center, Georgia
44. Populus Rei, Georgia