Amid Ukraine Inauguration, Journalists Sushenkov and Malyshev Detained Near Slavyansk, FUNCA on the Case

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 7, more here -- While Petro Poroshenko was inaugurated in Kyiv, two journalists who were headed there to cover it were arrested. 

  Andrey Sushenkov and Anton Malyshev have said they had accreditation but were nonetheless picked up. In this they are at least luckier than Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli and his interpreter Andrey Mironov, both killed in May in the run up to the election.

  When the UN Security Council met afterward, Lithuania's Ambassador cited the killed young Italian journalist without mentioning (Russian) Mironov, nor that authorities killed both of them. While others might take this approach, at the UN theFree UN Coalition for Access says journalists are journalists, just as civilians are civilians.

  On that, it's similar to the reaction of some to Ukraine's air force bombing Luhansk, click here for more on that.

    Back on May 25 amid voting in Ukraine, Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli and his interpreter Andrey Mironov were found dead near the village of Andreevka outside Slavyansk on May 25.

  Rocchelli had been taking photographs, for example of children seeking protection from shelling in a basement in Slavyansk's Cherevkovka neighborhood.

  Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini confirmed the deaths; another photographer who was traveling with Rocchelli and Mironov said they were hit by mortar fire as they were taking shelter in a roadside ditch; it's reported the journalists came under shelling from Ukrainian troops late on May 24.

   If this happened say in Syria, what would the reaction be? What will the reaction be now?

  On May 23 when Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev held a press conference two days before the elections, Inner City Press began by asking him why chocolate magnate Petro Poroshenko had not agreed to participate in debates. (On May 25, Poroshenko is pictured voting, here.)

  Sergeyev replied that he understands Poroshenko would, if there is a second round.

  Then Inner City Press asked Sergeyev about the “UN” painted helicopters shown by LifeNews as being in Ukraine, and about the two LifeNews journalists then detained.

  Sergeyev said he contacted his government's defense department and was assured that helicopters that serve for pay in UN peacekeeping mission returned painted white but with the UN insignia “erased.” He said the filming was not in Ukraine.

  Inner City Press asked if it was in a UN peacekeeping mission why the soldiers around the copter were in camouflage and not UN blue helmets. This has not been answered.

  On the LifeNews journalists, Sergeyev said they had confessed to not being “pure journalists” and had revealed Ukraine military positions.

  Inner City Press asked if that wasn't always a possible charge of war reporters. It might also be asked which others detained while engaged in acts of journalism, sometimes, are not “pure journalists.” 

  The Free UN Coalition for Access supports these journalists and continued to ask about their fate, as it asked the UN's Ivan Simonovic in late May. 

  The two were later released, and have said they were held with sacks over their heads, arms and legs tied. 

  On a second round of questions on May 23, Inner City Press asked about the four or five investigations of the May 2 murders in Odessa that Simonovic had described. Sergeyev said Simonovic must have been referring to four or five versions of events, because there are only Ukrainian investigations.

  Inner City Press at the day's noon briefing asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric how many investigations of Odessa there are, and if one involving the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons is being considered. 

  And so far from the UN, nothing on the detention of journalists Andrey Sushenkov and Anton Malyshev. Watch this site.

   

As Thailand Confirms Coup, Journalist Pornthip Mongyai Fired for Protest, UN and Censors Silent, Objection by Free UN Coalition for Access

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 23 -- Thailand is one of the few countries where the UN could have played the mediating role for which it was created. Issues like Israel and Palestine, Iran and North Korea have been taken from it; it has shown itself one-sided on Ukraine. But Thailand? Why not?

 Well, not. On May 23, after the coup, journalist Pornthip Mongyai was fired by her employer Mono Group for merely appearing in a photo with her mouth taped shut, as many front-runner have done for Al Jazeera staff in Egypt.

  But the UN said nothing, nor did its UN Censorship Alliance, just as they didn't speak on the detention and abuse of journalists in Ukraine who broadcast video of "UN" marked helicopters, here.

  On May 15, 2014, Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: on Thailand, it’s been now that the electoral commission there has said that elections won’t be able to be held by 20 July due to unrest. And the military has said, has sort of made some comments about acting if there remains unrest, I’m wondering does the UN… I know that there have been some statements by the Secretary-General in the past, does the UN have any role, any comment on this? Is it offering to play some role in trying to get the country back on a democratic path?

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric: You know, as always and in general terms, the good offices are available should they be called upon by both sides in any issue; but obviously, we are watching the situation carefully with concern. We’ve seen the violence over the last few days but we very much hope that both sides and all sides really will show restraint and show full respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and human rights.

   But four days later, when the military declared martial law, there was nary a peep out of Ban Ki-moon's UN. The UN has become irrelevant, on Thailand as for example on Libya.

    On May 19, after days of chaos throughout Libya, Inner City Press went to the UN's noon briefing and asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric if the UN had any comment or response to the storming of the parliament and the seizure of airports, which have led to the closure of countries' embassies and consultates in the country.

   No, Dujarric had nothing. Later on May 19 a one page press release was placed in his UN Spokesperson's Office -- not emailed out nor announced by email -- in which the UNSMIL mission, with none of its officials quoted, “expressed deep concern.”

    Why is the UN phoning it in, even on Libya? Sources tell Inner City Press that Secretary General's envoy in Libya Tarek Mitri, “a perfectly nice guy,” has shown little interest in Libya -- they say he hoped to get a position in the new government of his native Lebanon but it did not come through.

 Mitri was Information Minister when Fouad Siniora was prime minister. But for now he hasn't gotten a new Lebanon post.

   Why isn't he even quoted in UNSMIL's bland and belated May 19 press release? This is the state of the UN at present. This is its legacy. 

  While the UN talks a lot about women's rights and political participation, activists in Libya tell Inner City Press a different story.

  They describe a May 20, 2013 meeting with UN envoy Tarek Mitri at which he called the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) "nothing."

  They say the new agency UN Women promised to give them information how to reach UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and didn't, and did not attend a May 30 follow up meeting. Now the 35% quota for women is about to be eliminated. And where is the UN?

  On June 19 at UN Headquarters in New York, Inner City Press put these questions to Mitri, and then to Ban's deputy spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey.

  Mitri said it was up to the women to do more, including a "sit in" he said he encouraged them to hold. He admitted saying "wala’ishi" or "nothing" as to CEDAW, explaining that he meant that a Parliament could not be sued. Video here and embedded below.

  "I have spoken to the media on three occasions on this, the UN did everything it said it would," Mitri insisted. "They are nascent, sometimes they are able to act more decisively. It is easier for the UN to support Libyans rather than act on behalf of them."

  Del Buey said Ban Ki-moon supports women. Well, despite UN Women not giving the email address, Ban is set to receive a letter from Libya on this, Inner City Press has learned. So we'll see. Watch this site.

Ukraine PR Sergeyev Tells Inner City Press that LifeNews Duo Not “Pure Journalists,” Odessa Probe Will Including Chemicals, OPCW?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 23 -- When Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev held a press conference two days before the May 25 elections, Inner City Press began by asking him why chocolate magnate Petro Poroshenko had not agreed to participate in debates.

  Sergeyev replied that he understands Poroshenko would, if there is a second round.

  Then Inner City Press asked Sergeyev about the “UN” painted helicopters shown by LifeNews as being in Ukraine, and about the two LifeNews journalists detained.

  Sergeyev said he contacted his government's defense department and was assured that helicopters that serve for pay in UN peacekeeping mission returned painted white but with the UN insignia “erased.” He said the filming was not in Ukraine.

  Inner City Press asked if it was in a UN peacekeeping mission why the soldiers around the copter were in camouflage and not UN blue helmets. This has not been answered.

  On the LifeNews journalists, Sergeyev said they had confessed to not being “pure journalists” and had revealed Ukraine military positions.

  Inner City Press asked if that wasn't always a possible charge of war reporters. It might also be asked which others detained while engaged in acts of journalism, sometimes, are not “pure journalists.” 

  The Free UN Coalition for Access supports these journalists and will continue to ask about their fate, as itasked the UN's Ivan Simonovic this week. For now, the UN monitoring team says it cannot confirm their location.

  On a second round, Inner City Press asked about the four or five investigations of the May 2 murders in Odessa thatSimonovic had described. Sergeyev said Simonovic must have been referring to four or five versions of events, because there are only Ukrainian investigations.

  Inner City Press at the day's noon briefing asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric how many investigations of Odessa there are, and if one involving the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons is being considered. The request is in, Dujarric said, we have to see. See what? Watch this site.

   

No UN Answer on Video of Ukraine Use of "UN" Copters, Simonovic Spoke to Kyiv Deputy Minister About Detention of Media Which Uploaded It

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 21 -- When UN official Ivan Simonovic emerged from briefing the Security Council about this trip to Ukraine, Inner City Press asked him about the LifeNews journalists detained and abused by authorities there on which UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric had no comment when asked by Inner City Press.

Simonovic said he was aware of the detention, was in contact with the owner of LifeNews and had spoken with Ukraine's deputy minister of Foreign Affairs. 

  Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, whom Inner City Press asked about LifeNews' footage of “UN” marked helicopters used by Kyiv, said in the Council's closed door session his Western colleagues did not come to the defense of these journalists as they have for others.

Churkin said his French colleague -- that would be Gerard Araud, who on April 15 told a correspondent from Lebanon “you are not a journalist, you are an agent” -- had refused to support the Council urging a de-esclation in Ukraine.

  On the LifeNews footage of the “UN” marked helicopter, on which Inner City Press has four times asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric without substantive answer, Churkin said the UN Secretariat has NOT provided any response about the “UN Peacekeeping” helicopter use.

  Voice of America -- which by Gerard Araud's logic would also be an agent, to the point of trying to get other media thrown out of the UN -- asked if Churkin questions the elections slated for May 25 in some but not all of Ukraine why doesn't he question the June 3 election set for Syria. 

  Churkin responded that Western countries praised elections in Afghanstan -- and also confirmed that Russia will veto the Franco-American draft resolution to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court, calling it grand-standing.

While Uruguay was listed in a European press release as sponsoring the resolution, they have clarified that they are NOT a sponsor. Could it be the carve-outs? Watch this site.

   

At UN, Ukraine and Egypt Attacks on Journalists Echoed by Outgoing French PR Araud, FUNCA Flier Down

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 20 -- Both the Egyptian persecutors of the journalists from Al Jazeera and other media and those Kyiv authorities who have more recently detained and abused reporters from LifeNews use the same logic. 

  Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council deputy Victoria Sumar said the detained journalists, Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saichenko, are being investigated on the charges of "aiding the terrorist groups."

   This has an echo in the UN, which unlike the OSCE has yet to contact anyone in Kyiv seeking the release of the journalists. Video of Inner City Press May 20 question, UN answer, here.

  French Ambassador Gerard Araud, in the UN's Press Briefing Room on April 15, told a reporter who asked a critical question, "You are not a journalist, you are an agent." Video here.

  The next day, April 16, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric about it. Dujurric replied in part that UN accredited correspondents should be treated with respect. Video here.

   Inner City Press, on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, noted that French foreign minister Laurent Fabius did the same thing last September, cutting off a question about Algeria by saying, let me call on a real journalist. An irony in Araud's "agent" talk is that on April 16 he called on France 24, his own government's media.

   The old United Nations Correspondents Association, become the UN's Censorship Alliance, has dragged its feet on requests to address Araud's attack on a correspondents right in the briefing room. A Free UN Coalition for Accessflier raising the issue had been torn down on May 19 from the free speech bulletin board FUNCA advocated for and won, even as UNCA maintains a glassed-in, but content-less, bulletin board one floor below. 

    On April 16 Dujarric would not say if he would convey his stated UN position of respect for correspondents to the French Mission. Araud is slated to leave in July. Until then, he is more and more brazen -- on May 20 he refused to take any Press questions about Mali, even as he got sassy on the topic on Twitter. 

  But what about Araud's slated successor Jacques Audibert? Has Araud so programmed his spokesman Frederic Jung, who tries to micro-manage those operating what is supposed to be the UN's boom microphone, that this travesty might continue? We'll have more on this - and on whether and how Dujarric's statement that UN accredited correspondents should be treated with respect applies to UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, see this and April 7 video, here,compilation here.

    During Araud's April 15 press conference, he began to receive many questions, here, about blocking human rights monitoring in Western Sahara. 

  It is a policy Araud is particularly associated with, since Javier Barden quoted him calling Morocco France's "mistress." Araud spoke of suing, but hasn't.

   But when during the April 15 press conference, in which Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access were not called on, Araud was asked about France having killed people in Algeria, Araud on camera told the questioner, You are not a journalist, you are an agent. Video here.

  The French run press conference gave the first question to Al Arabiya, for UNCA (now known as the UN's Censorship Alliance). An UNCA board member also wanly asked on April 16 - but this same individual not only did nothing whenHerve Ladsous, as head of UN Peacekeeping, said he wouldn't answer any of the Press' questions -- he supported UNCA board efforts to get Inner City Press to remove from the Internet its reporting about Sri Lanka, and also about Ladsous. So, no.

  On April 15,  Syria "Caesar" report panelist David Crane was asked who funded it and answered on camera merely that he was paid. (The photographs, Inner City Press noted and notes, are extremely troubling - all the more reason that taking Qatar's funding and denouncing the only critical question were unwise.)

  Afterward, Inner City Press asked Crane to confirm the payment was from Qatar. He confirmed it. Inner City Press asked, did you seek any other, less compromised funding? The answer was no. In fact, Crane said he gave his recommendations to the Syrian National Council. Afterward Inner City Press asked him if he meant the Turkey based group headed by Ahmed Al Jarba, and Crane said yes, than added, "The resistance" writ large.

     When Qatar sponsored an event at the UN in New York on March 21 featuring the Syrian Coalition headed by Ahmad al Jarba, a group calling its the Syrian Grassroots Movement held protests seeking to oust Jarba.

   By March 22, the group stated that some 40,000 people in 58 cities inside Syria had participated in demonstrations to get Jarba out of his post, saying "it is time to put an end to political corruption."

  Back in September 2013, France sponsored an event in the UN and called Jarba the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. French Ambassador Gerard Araud was the first questioning at Qatar's March 21 Syrian Coalition event. What is France's position now? Who chooses the leaders?

  Likewise, back in July 2013 and earlier this month, the Jarba-led Syrian Coalition held faux "UN" events in the clubhouse Ban Ki-moon's Secretariat gives to the largely Gulf and Western UN Correspondents Association. How does that now appear, in light of the anti-Jarba protests?

   Qatar's March 21 event was not listed in the UN Journal nor in the UN Media Alert. It was not on the UN's publicly available webcast.

  Select media outlets were there, when Inner City Press came in at the end to ask a question: Al Jazeera on the podium in Qatar's event, Al Arabiya like a Saudi diplomat -- not the Permanent Representative -- in the audience along with Al Hayat, even Al Hurra, on whose Broadcasting Board of Governors US Secretary of State John Kerry serves.

   The new Free UN Coalition for Access is against faux UN events, in the clubhouse the Secretariat gives to what's become its UN Censorship Alliance or elsewhere.

   On March 21 Inner City Press put these questions, also on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, to the UN's top two spokespeople:

"there is an event in Conference Room 4 right now, sponsored by Qatar, which is no listed in today's UN Journal, nor is it on UN Webcast http://webtv.un.org/ but it appears to be being filmed. Please explain the legal status of this meeting, if there are any sponsored beyond Qatar, how it was publicized and if any request to have it webcast was made. Thanks, on deadline."

  But no answer was provided. Inner City Press ran to the event and from the back of a three quarters empty Conference Room 4 asked why the event was so stealth: not in the UN Journal, not webcast.

  The Permanent Representative of Qatar answered, saying it was a "special event" to which Qatar had invited (some) member states and groups, and (some) media. There is a UN Media Alert, but this event was not put in it.

  Perhaps it was publicized by the Gulf & Western United Nations Correspondents Association, which has twice hosted faux "UN" events by the Syrian National Coalition or Syrian Coalition. (In both cases, the Free UN Coalition for Access suggested that the SNC hold its events in the UN briefing room, accessible to all journalists.)

  Since French Ambassador Gerard Araud, the first questioner flanked by representatives of Saudi Arabia and of Turkey which earlier in the day banned Twitter, has spoken about "fakes" and others about accountability, Inner City Press asked if the groups Al Nusra and ISIS, and those who fund them such as private individuals in Qatar alluded to at the US State Department briefing earlier in the day, could or would be held accountable.

  The SNC representative emphasized what he called links between the Assad regime and ISIS, saying it was too easy to blame the Gulf countries.

Here's from the March 21 US State Department briefing transcript:

Question: you have concerns about the withdrawal of the ambassadors. Do you also have concerns about the reasons that these countries said that they withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar? In other words, do you – if you have concerns about the withdrawal of the ambassadors, do you also have concerns about Qatar’s behavior, which – alleged behavior, let’s say – which led to these countries withdrawing their ambassadors?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I know one of the issues that has been mentioned is the issue of private donations to extremists – and that’s something that some have mentioned – operating in Syria and elsewhere. It remains an important priority in our high-level discussions, and one that we also certainly raise with all states in the region, including Qatar, including the Government of Kuwait, wherever we have concerns.

After Inner City Press asked about the sponsorship of the event, a one-page "Joint Statement by the Co-Organizers" was passed out, listing among the co-organizers France, the UK, US, Belgium, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Inner City Press tweeted it. 

   Even 24 hours later, the UN's top two spokespeople had not answered the simple questions put to them, above. Watch this site.

   

Press & Public Banned from UN Communications Group, Accreditation Mulled

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 20 -- A group of UN spokespeople which considers such issues as media accreditation is meeting in New York today and tomorrow, and Inner City Press on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access asked to observe or at least get a summary.

  On May 20, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said no, it is internal, and declined to take a follow up question. But previous UNCG Annual Principals Meetings have come out with statements like that it is "important for the United Nations family to engage with all forms of new media, but that some, such as blogs, present particular challenges for accreditation."

   Even today, the UN lags behind the OSCE in raising concerns about the detention by Ukraine authorities of journalists like those of Life News, which put on YouTube video of “UN” marked helicopters in Ukraine. Inner City Press asked Dujarric about this on May 20 and was told that no one in the UN system has even raised the issue to Kyiv, unlike the OSCE. Video here.

   Inner City Press wrote to UNICEF to asked to attend or get access to a webcast of the UNCG meeting but was told: “The UN Communications Group meeting is co-hosted by UN DPI and UNICEF. It’s an internal meeting so isn’t open via webcast or otherwise.”

   But if it concerns topics like accreditation, shouldn't it be open or summarized? Watch this site.

   

UN Shuts Down on “UN” Copter in Ukraine, As On Journalists Detained

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 20, more here -- While the UN has five times refused to explain what helicopters with "UN" markings were doing in Ukraine, video here, its silence has now extended to journalists of LifeNews which filmed the helicopters who have been seized and pictured handcuffed under armed guard, here.

  On May 19, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here:

Inner City Press: on Ukraine, I wanted to ask if you have any response back from the Government. I’ve seen some reports that they’re claiming that the helicopters were in fact the photos from the DRC two years ago. Although there’s not any blue helmets around it.

Spokesman Dujarric: I don’t have…

Inner City Press: The two journalists from Life News that was the media that filmed the helicopters have been arrested and report trade in photographs as bound and with bags over their head and with the Ukrainian authorities with guns pointed at them and I’m wondering whether the UN, Mr. Šimonovic, UNESCO --

Spokesman Dujarric: We’ll check with Mr. Šimonovic. I don’t have anything particularly on that right now.

   Twenty hours later, still nothing. Meanwhile the OSCE has spoken up for the journalists. The UN is becoming... UN relevant. Simonovic will brief the Security Council on May 21, and at some point the press.

   Given the speeches given at the UN about freedom of the press and of information, what will Simonovic say about the detention of these journalists? 

  The Free UN Coalition for Access, similar to positions it had publicly taken on the outrageous detention of Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt, Zone 9 Bloggers in Ethiopia, editors in Somaliland and VICE in this Ukraine conflict, will be asking about this case of journalists Oleg Sidyakina and Marat Saychenko.

   Ukraine is a major provider of helicopters and air services to the UN, and amid the Kyiv government's “counter-terrorism” offensive on May 13 video surfaced of a white helicopter marked “UN,” here.

The UN has in the past complained of governments using UN-marked equipment for their own military goals. So Inner City Press submitted these questions on deadline to Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric and his deputy Farhan Haq:

This is a Press request for UN comment on deadline on this videohttp://youtu.be/W0P_sv_x4E0

featuring “UN” helicopters in Ukraine. Is this appropriate? Why would Ukraine have helicopters with such markings inside Ukraine? What does the UN allow Ukraine to use them for? What will the UN do? On deadline.

  Hours went by without any substantive answer. Inner City Press asked about the issue at the UN Security Council stakeout, video here from Minute 5:17.

  More than six hours later, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Office of the Spokesperson provided this response to Inner City Press:

Subject: On Ukraine.
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, May 13, 2014 at 7:40 PM
To: Matthew.Lee@innercitypress.com

The Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support are in contact with the Ukrainian authorities concerning this issue. It is the responsibility of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) that provide Contingent Owned Equipment to peacekeeping missions to remove all logos and signage bearing the UN's name once such equipment has been repatriated to the home country or is no longer being used for official UN purposes. Moreover, every Letter of Assist, signed between the UN and TCC, also clearly states that “the Government may only use such painted and marked Aircraft for flights, which have been tasked by the United Nations.”

   We will await more -- that is, the response of the Kyiv authorities and what the UN actually does. Inner City Press asked another question as well, and has questions pending back to the first week of Dujarric's tenure in March. 

From the UN transcript:

Spokesman Dujarric: Mr. Lee?

Inner City Press: Sure, thanks a lot. I wanted to ask you about the helicopters, and thanks for sending that out, but there are some questions that are left unanswered by it. Since then, Ukraine has denied that they’ve used… that helicopters have any UN markings, and I’m sure you’ve seen the photographs and in the video. So, I wanted to ask you, what has Ukraine said back to the UN? Which Mission did these helicopters serve in? Were they, in fact, Government-owned, or were they a contractor that served? What was the… you know, what’s the tail number, basically? Are you investigating it to find out…?

Spokesman Dujarric: I think we’ve spoken to the Ukrainian Permanent Mission here and we’ve made very clear our concerns and their responsibilities so we will see what the next steps are. But obviously, these kinds of reports are troubling and we expect people to take the appropriate steps. As for details of where these helicopters may have served, and even if they were UN helicopters, I don’t have any further information. You know, we’ve obviously seen the pictures, like you have, and have reminded the Ukrainian authorities of their responsibilities.

Inner City Press: So, have you asked for a response from them to describe which helicopters they are?

Spokesman Dujarric: Let’s see, I think this conversation happened late yesterday and we will see what the next steps are.

Watch this site.