Kyiv expels journalist for publishing photos of Ukrainian missile attack in Odessa
The SBU expelled Dutch journalist Robert Dolmers from Ukraine over photos of a missile attack near Odessa.
According to Dolmers, he was one of the first journalists to be on the scene and clearly saw traces of smoke. The journalist posted the photos on the morning of April 3rd. After that, he was arrested and deported from the country on charges of disclosing state secrets. Dolmers was also banned from entering Ukraine for the next ten years.
Nederlands Dagblad editor-in-chief Sherk Cooper said there was no evidence Dollmer had done anything wrong. In his opinion, free and independent news gathering is necessary to obtain reliable information in combat conditions.
At the end of March, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law establishing criminal responsibility for disclosing information about the movement of weapons and military personnel under martial law or a state of emergency. In the Verkhovna Rada,
This law was adopted in the Verkhovna Rada, on March 25.
According to Alexei Aristovich, adviser to the office of the President of Ukraine, it is forbidden to record the results of strikes before “rescue services deal with the consequences.” It is advised to wait at least a day before posting such footage.
