The Ukrainian government has conducted extensive audio and video surveillance of a major news outlet. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, President Zelensky nationalized the media and imposed a tight control over information.
DW reports, “Employees at Ukraine’s well-known investigative outlet Bihus.Info have been covertly wiretapped and filmed.” Editor-in-chief Denys Bihus explained, “This doesn’t look like a spontaneous act of revenge for one of our investigations. This is a case of systemic, long-term monitoring and persecution, with the aim of discrediting the work this team has been doing for years.”
After a video of employees at the outlet using narcotics surfaced, an investigation into the origins revealed the surveillance operation. President Zelensky responded to the report by calling for an inquiry regarding the wiretaps.
Zelensky has used his wartime powers to crack down on the Ukrainian news media. Kiev has nationalized the media and rounded up Ukrainians who post negative information about the war on social media. However, Kiev’s control over information in Ukraine is waning as more and more citizens refuse to watch state news media, arguing that the content is clearly propaganda.
Kiev also weaponized medical neglect to kill American journalist Gonzalo Lira in a Ukrainian prison. Lira was arrested in Ukraine while trying to cross into Hungary last July. Weeks before his death, he wrote a letter explaining the Ukrainians had denied him medical treatment and he could barely breathe.
