On Ukraine, UN Says UNclear if Army Just Defends Itself, Who Killed Journalists?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 24 -- When UN official Ivan Simonovic briefed the Security Council on June 24, it was by video from UNDP in his native Croatia. 

  He repeated the finding of his recent human rights report, on which he told Inner City Press that his team had no weapons expertise. He added, “since last week, in Slovyansk, there is no running water and residents are resorting to using wells. Around 90% of the town is now cut off from electricity.”

Simonovic praised the Security Council for condemning “the recent killing of two Russian journalists by mortar fire, which follows the killing of an Italian photojournalist and his Russian interpreter on 24 May.” Simonovic added, “While the perpetrators of these recent attacks are yet to be identified, it will be highly important to ensure accountability.”

Simonovic then announced that he would have to leave without answering any questions.

Before that, UN Department of Political Affairs official Tayé-Brook Zerihoun said, “Ukrainian forces also continued their 'security operation,' although it was unclear if they were merely defending themselves against attacks.” Call it the presumption of innocence.

   

As Ukraine Claims Support for Petro Poroshenko's Plan & UN Quickly Delivers, Russia Mocks Haste and Simonovic Human Rights Team's Lack of Experts

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 20 -- When Ukraine's Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev scheduled a UN press conference for 10 am on June 20, Inner City Press went to cover it rather than go to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speech on Syria (reported on here).

  The UN Press Briefing Room was nearly empty. Photo here. Sergeyev described what he called the forthcoming plan of President Petro Poroshenko, and UN human rights official Ivan Simonovic's report.

  Inner City Press asked Sergeyev about the killing of civilians, in particular five year old Arseny Danchenko reportedly killed by mortars in Golubovka near Slavyansk, and on behalf of the new Free UN Coalition for Access about the killing and abuse of journalists.

  Sergeyev and his spokesperson said the killing of the boy had been discredited, with neighbors saying the parents were paid to feign the death. Inner City Press asked, so the boy is alive? We may have more on this.

  On the journalists, Sergeyev said they were traveling with fighters or terrorists and should have worn helmets; he answered Inner City Press about confessions other journalist had given. Inner City Press left his briefing at 10:30 am, tocover Ban Ki-moon speech by webcast, here.

  At noon, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric for any comment on Ukraine and what Sergeyev called Poroshenko's forthcoming plan. Dujarric said “the Secretary General welcomes Pres Poroshenko's... fourteen peace plan,” and called it “encouraging.”

  Inner City Press asked, the shelling of Slovyansk? Any comment on that?

  Dujarric repeated a “blanket call for cessation of all violence that we have seen and continue to see.”

  Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin called a 12:30 pm press conference to respond to Sergeyev. Photo here. Inner City Press asked Churkin about spokesman Dujarric's praise for the Secretary General of the Poroshenko plan.

  Churkin said, “I'll have to look at the Secretary General's comments... I'd think a senior offical would want to look at the plan before welcoming it.”

  Inner City Press asked about what Sergeyev said about the killed journalists. Churkin replied that Sergeyev “goes to details into what happened, sometimes details change. To me, this is another indication of the claim that is made in our media that those journalists were followed and targeted for several days before targeted and killed.”

  Inner City Press hopes to hear back from the Ukrainian side (while noting perhaps its 10 am press conference should have been re-scheduled: the result is Sergeyev spoke to an almost empty room, while Churkin replied to a much larger audience).

  On a second round, Inner City Press asked Churkin about Paragraph 171 of Simonovic's report, about the bombing of the Luhansk administration building on June 2. Earlier this week, Simonovic told Inner City Press his team had no expertise in armaments. Inner City Press asked Churkin, who's paying for this team?

  Churkin said “if the United Nations is paying, I think they are wasting a lot of time. For this attack, they used projectiles, one of them is stuck in the ground next to the building. And they don't have experts?”

  Churkin said he hadn't yet read Ban Ki-moon's Syria speech, which Inner City Press has covered here. Watch this site.

   

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.

   

Amid Ukraine Voting, Journalists Rocchelli and Mironov Killed Near Slavyansk, Donetsk Low

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, 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 May 25 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 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 this week. 

  The two have now been 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. The request is in, Dujarric said, we have to see. See what? 

  And so far from the UN, nothing on the killing of Rocchelli and Mironov. Watch this site.