Public Advocacy supports UOC rep’s speech on media freedom at OSCE meeting

Oleg Denisov. Photo: protiktor.com

At the OSCE meeting, the head of the human rights organization "Public Advocacy" Oleg Denisov supported the speech of the head of the UOC Representation to European International Organizations, Bishop Victor (Kotsaba) of Baryshevka, reports the organization's website.

Vladyka reported the facts of violations of the rights of UOC believers and the role of the media in spreading hate speech in Ukraine in relation to the canonical Church.

The head of the human rights organization expressed support for the speech of the hierarch of the UOC and added that incitement to hostility in the media should be prevented by the authorities and the society itself, which should form a rejection of such rhetoric.

“The systematic incitement of hostility towards believers of the UOC by propaganda structures working out the whole thematic areas of spreading negativity towards this target group not only complicates the problem of protecting human rights in Ukraine but also requires joint efforts of civil society and representatives of conscientious media, which should both provide the UOC with specific opportunities to exercise the right to reply with regard to controversial publications and create truthful content that refutes the massive negative hate speech towards the UOC,” Denisov said.

According to him, the political situation in Ukraine confirms the fact that honest journalists need to fight for the opportunity to convey truthful information to their audience.

Denisov also stressed that if Ukraine really follows European standards in the field of freedom of speech, the Ukrainian government should fight the spread of hatred in the media at the state level.

Earlier, the head of the "Public Advocacy" took part in an inter-sessional meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, where he spoke about the formation of a negative image of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the socio-political sphere of Ukraine and the violation of the rights of UOC communities.

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