The National Police of Ukraine has opened criminal proceedings over threats against Oboz.ua journalist Olha Haniukova and editor-in-chief Lesia Hasych. The case was classified under Article 345-1, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which covers threats or violence against journalists.
Oboz.ua journalist Olha Haniukova faced pressure after the publication of an article about possible fraudulent fundraising allegedly carried out in support of veteran Iryna Hotun. A man identifying himself as veteran Serhii Yaniuk, call sign Latysh, repeatedly called the journalist, demanded that the article be removed and sent her numerous video messages.
After that, according to editor-in-chief Lesia Hasych, threats were also directed at her and members of her family.
“I don’t know where he got Olha’s phone number and patronymic, or my personal information. He also found the phone number of our former director and called him, as well as our editor-in-chief, and even called my brother’s personal number in Poland. He used both Ukrainian and Latvian phone numbers to make the calls,” Hasych told Women in Media.
Although the editorial team eventually temporarily removed the article from the website for an additional fact-checking process, the pressure from Serhii Yaniuk did not stop. For example, he called the police to the Oboz.ua office. Hasych and Haniukova then filed reports with law enforcement regarding the threats and obstruction of their professional journalistic activities.
“The police came on Sunday, when no one was at the office except one colleague who was preparing the studio for filming. He told the police about the threats against us, and they left. The following day, Yaniuk posted a video calling on fellow soldiers and veterans to go to the editorial office and document our alleged crimes. At the same time, he himself is outside Ukraine. The Security Service of Ukraine registered his complaint, but later responded that there was no evidence of a crime and therefore they would not enter it into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations,” Hasych said.
Thus, the conflict escalated from demands to remove a particular article into systematic pressure on the journalist and the editorial team, including threats and attempts to influence their professional work.
As Hasych told Women in Media, the situation became a source of significant stress for both her and journalist Olha Haniukova.
“At first, we tried to respond to his statements appropriately. We thanked him for his service and for defending the country, and we were ready to request a comment from Iryna Hotun, the veteran mentioned in our article. It is important to note that she herself never contacted us — neither after the publication nor at any point since. However, Serhii Yaniuk began recording aggressive and emotional videos. We were ready to correct the information in our article if we were provided with relevant evidence. But then he began contradicting himself: at one point he said that her comment would be provided, and then he called me an FSB agent.”
At the request of the NGO Women in Media, the case was placed under the oversight of Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing an increase in the number of threats against journalists. The Committee is already monitoring cases involving threats against Babel and war correspondent Anna Kaliuzhna. We are also taking this case under parliamentary oversight and call on law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough and prompt investigation,” Yurchyshyn said.
Women in Media emphasizes that the attack on Oboz.ua demonstrates that threats, harassment and other forms of violence against women journalists should not go unanswered. If you or a colleague experience threats, online attacks, stalking or other forms of violence, it is important to contact law enforcement promptly and preserve evidence of the attack.
Women journalists who have experienced online violence can also contact Women in Media for legal or psychological support, as well as cybersecurity consultations, depending on their needs.