Ukraine: Head of Monastery Assaults and Obstructs Journalists – Aggressors Must Be Held Responsible
Location: Ukraine, Kyiv
Date: March 30, 2023
Women journalists harassed, insulted, and obstructed while reporting from a monastery in Kyiv. The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on Ukrainian authorities to identify perpetrators and hold them accountable.
On March 30, Metropolitan Bishop Pavlo Lebid pushed Espresso TV journalist Valeriya Pashko and blocked her from filiming at Kyiv monastery.
Pashko said the monastery’s head insulted her in front of his followers, saying, “she does not resemble a human.” The bishop also attempted to knock a microphone from her hand.
Speaking to the Ukrainian media freedom organization IMI, Pashko said the incident occurred after she asked Lebid questions about the eviction of the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church from a monastery in Kyiv. The government terminated the church’s lease on March 29
“I got scared and left because I was perturbed about the property of the newsroom, which the persons mentioned above (Lebid) tried to destroy,” said the journalist.
Several journalists reporting the story have been harassed and threatened. Suspline reporter Daria Nematian Zolbin and her camera operator were attacked by an unidentified priest as they tried to question the head of the monastery.
The priest hit the journalist’s shoulder and grabbed their camera, pulling out its microphone.
Police have launched an investigation into the March 30 incidents.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands a swift investigation into members of the clergy and their followers for obstructing and assaulting journalists. We call on the Ukrainian police to charge those responsible.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.