Ukraine: CFWIJ Vehemently Condemns Russia’s Accusations For Extremism Against Journalist Anastasia Zhvyk

Location: Ukraine, Sevastopol
Date: February 6, 2023

Anastasia Zhvyk, a journalist from Sevastopol, has been found guilty of ‘discrediting the Russian armed forces’. Judge Yulia Sergeevna Stepanova of the Russian-controlled Leninsky District Court ruled on Zhvyk's case imposing a 40-thousand rouble fine. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled by the verdict. We demand the court immediately retract their decision. 

In January, 2023, judge Yulia Sergeevna Stepanova found journalist Anastasia Zhvyk guilty of ‘discrediting the Russian armed forces’ and imposed a 40-thousand rouble fine. The ‘court’ ruling states that one of Zhvyk’s social media posts contained a photo with the words "FUCK WAR". Another photo has the words "NO TO WAR" as well as the following text: “It is always darkest before dawn. The darkness will undoubtedly be replaced by the sun. The question is when is it darkest for us – is it totally dark now?  Or will it still be worse. I suspect the latter." Zhvyk is a journalist from Sevastopol, a port city on the Russian-occupied Crimea Peninsula.

On December 23, 2022, Zhvyk was registered as a foreign agent by the Ministry of Justice of Russia making her the first resident of Crimea annexed by Russia to be granted this status. Zhvyk cooperated with the publication Meduza, which the Russian authorities also included in the list of “foreign agents” and recognized as an “undesirable organization”. Zhvyk also opposed the invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with Radio Svoboda, the journalist talked about how her life is going in her new status and why she decided not to leave Crimea.

On October 24, 2022, police conducted a search on the two-room apartment that the journalist shares with her parents. During the search, Zhvyk's laptop and smartphone were confiscated. The journalist said the officers threatened her with criminal proceedings for extremism. Such accusations carry a punishment of several years in prison if convicted. Zhvyk stands accused of having shared an English-language post on Instagram following the Crimea Bridge explosion. The post was deemed to support the attack and alleged that the bridge, Putin’s prestige project, was illegal. The journalist has criticized those in power in Moscow. She reports on sensitive issues, such as the stigmatization of the LGBTQ community in Russia.

Zhvyk was taken by police authorities for an interrogation. At the station, she was asked about her work: Who are your foreign employers? Who is paying you? How much money do you receive?

Later that day, an article appeared on a nationalist website, in which Zhvyk was described as an "agent of influence paid by the West''. Zhvyk initially discounted the article, but then the threat messages started arriving. "We’ll find you and we’ll kill you."  Zhvyk found this sentence on the Russian social network VKontakte. Another user wrote: "We’re going to stab you and bury you." The posts were meant as a warning for Zhvyk to cease writing pieces critical of the Kremlin. Zhvyk suspected that it wasn’t all just a coincidence: her temporary detention, the interrogation by the police, the defamatory text messages and the harassment directed at her on the internet- all of it in a single day.

Friends and colleagues urged the journalist to take them seriously. "You have to get out quickly," they told her. So, she did, driving across Europe, a journey which ended in a rooftop apartment in Heidelberg, Germany. Zhvyk’s story demonstrates how state repression and digital disinformation fuel each other.

The assault of journalists has significantly intensified following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They are frequently vilified and insulted by ultranationalist Telegram channels. "They try to heap so much psychological pressure on the journalists that they end up leaving the country."

Women journalists who report on political issues are especially vulnerable to online violence, which may have to do with the fact that they are usually reporting on men who have a lot to lose. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly denounces the deliberate attacks and vilification of journalist Anastasia Zhvyk. We demand the court retract their ruling on Zhvyk and grant her unconditional freedom. Journalism is not a crime. It is the backbone of democracy. 

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.

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