Ukraine: Ukraine Denies Entry to Belarusian Journalist Elena Kovalchuk
The Coalition For Women In Journalism empathizes with Ukraine’s ongoing conflict, but urges the government to continue to allow journalists to work freely
Location: Ukraine, Lviv
Date: JMay 29, 2023
Photo Credit: МК / Белсат
Border Guards deny entry to Belarusian journalist Elena Kovalchuk who had planned to attend the Lviv Media Forum from May 25-27, despite having an official invitation to the event from organizers. Ukraine has been mostly cooperative and accommodating to both local and foreign media during the important and risky coverage in the region. We are, however, sincerely alarmed at the restraints encountered by Elena and count on authorities to allow media to report on the country.
Journalist Elena Kovalchuk was denied entry into Ukraine by Ukrainian border guards on May 29, 2023. The incident underscores ongoing tensions between Belarus and Ukraine and highlights the obstacles faced by journalists and media professionals in the region.
Kvalchuk tells CFWIJ how border guards escorted her out of the bus at the border. "After about half an hour of waiting, I was informed that I had insufficient grounds for entry,” the journalist says. After refusing her to cross the border, the guards followed the reporter and placed her on a bus to Poland.
Elena Kovalchuk is a newsfeed editor and journalist at Hrodna.life. She has written approximately 60 articles about Grodno after the elections, with roughly a third of them covering peaceful protests.
Accreditation Process Hinders War Reporting
Multiple media reports indicate that journalists seeking accreditation from Ukraine's military have faced repeated questioning by officers from the country's SBU security service since March. Additionally, some journalists have reportedly been coerced into taking specific approaches in their reporting.
A report published in Semafor by Ben Smith reveals that several journalists belonging to reputed outlets like NBC News, The New York Times, CNN, The New Yorker, and Ukrainian digital broadcaster Hromadske have faced the risk of losing their credentials, had them revoked, or been denied them altogether by Ukrainian officials. The officials alleged that the journalists violated the rules set by Ukrainian authorities.
The military implemented new accreditation regulations in March, which mandated journalists to reapply for their accreditation every six months. The deadline for the latest round of accreditation applications was May 1.
Without proper accreditation journalists are unable to report on the frontlines of the conflict or other significant topics within the country.
Natalia Humeniuk, who heads the Joint Coordination Press Center for the Operational Command South, one of the country's four regional commands, informed the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine on June 7 that journalists would need military accreditation to report on the collapse of a major dam and hydro-electric power plant in the Kherson region on June 6.
“It sounds concerning that the process of accreditation is not transparent, because some of my colleagues received their accreditation very quickly and some have been waiting for months, without ability to work in the frontline or even in Kyiv on crime scenes,” Katerina Sergatskova, the chief editor of the independent news outlet Zaborona in Ukraine, stated this to CPJ.
As documented by CFWIJ, in August 2022, Matilde Kimer, a journalist working for Danish public broadcaster DR, had her accreditation with Ukraine's Ministry of Defense revoked on allegations of producing Russian propaganda. Kimer's accreditation was reinstated in early January 2023.
The media climate in Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion has been characterized by a number of challenges and difficulties. The conflict has made it difficult for journalists to work safely and independently, and many have faced harassment, intimidation, and violence as a result of their reporting.
Media Landscape Impacted by Ongoing Invasion of Ukraine
One of the biggest challenges facing journalists in Ukraine has been the prevalence of propaganda and disinformation on both sides of the conflict. Russian state media and pro-Russian separatist groups have been accused of spreading false and misleading information, while Ukrainian authorities have also been criticized for their handling of the media and their efforts to control the narrative around the conflict.
Despite these challenges, journalists and media outlets are working to uncover corruption and human rights abuses, and to provide accurate and impartial reporting on the conflict. Civil society organizations and advocacy groups such as CFWIJ have also played an important role in documenting violations against women journalists and supporting media freedom and protecting the rights of journalists.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism has sympathy for Ukraine and the precarious situation with regards to information flows due to the war Russia is waging against the country. However, especially in times of armed conflict, the importance of honest and trustworthy journalism is crucial. Refusing entry to Belarusian journalist Elena Kovalchuk highlights press freedom concerns in Ukraine. We call for heightened protection of media freedom to ensure accurate and comprehensive coverage of the country's current situation. We urge Ukrainian authorities to establish clear press accreditation guidelines in order to ensure transparency and protect the rights of journalists to report freely, without any obstruction.
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.