Ukrainian Media Trade Union condemns blocking of news site in Crimea
The Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine has condemned the blocking of the Krym.Realii website on the territory of Russia and the annexed Crimea. The news portal, which is part of the Radio Free Europe program and funded by the US Congress, was reportedly blocked in Russia and the Crimea earlier this week.
Russian Crimean Prosecutor General Natalia Poklonskaya confirmed that the website had been blocked. She had previously stated that she was preparing the materials to make the news source inaccessible.
According to the Trade Union’s head, Yuriy Lukanov, "we will make this known to the International Organization of Journalists and the representative of the OSCE’s Office for the Freedom of Media, Dunja Mijatović. We have links with the European Parliament, will make sure the issue was raised there.”
Lukanov told Krym.Realii that the blockage of the website is evidence that the Russian government is afraid of alternative news sources on the annexed Peninsula.
The international human rights organization Freedom House assessed the state of press freedom in 199 countries and territories in 2015. According to the results, Russian-Crimea came in 195th place.
On Friday, Krym.Realii was reportedly unblocked.