Peace for Ukraine must include justice for journalists and strong media
Free Press Unlimited (FPU) is deeply concerned about recent discussions within the peace negotiations regarding Ukraine. Together with partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), we strongly oppose any form of amnesty for war crimes committed during the Russian invasion, including crimes targeting journalists. At the same time, we see that media are almost entirely absent from international plans for a future peace process and the reconstruction of Ukraine. This must change.
No peace without justice for journalists
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, at least 16 media workers have been killed while doing their work. Multiple journalists have been deliberately attacked, tortured, or executed, including Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity in 2024. A large number of journalists are still missing. Additionally, the MFRR has documented 53 attacks on media infrastructure, ranging from shelled newsrooms to drone attacks on reporters wearing press vests.
The proposal for a blanket amnesty, as previously mentioned in draft plans by the U.S. government, would set a dangerous precedent and violate international humanitarian law. FPU therefore joins the call from MFRR partners: war crimes against journalists must never go unpunished. They must be independently investigated, and perpetrators must be prosecuted under both international and national law.
Read the full statement from MFRR and all partners.
Media risk being overlooked in peace plans
But justice for journalists alone is not enough. During the recent visit of our Executive Director Ruth Kronenburg to Ukraine, partners delivered a clear and urgent message: media must be explicitly included in the peace process and in the country’s reconstruction. Currently, this happens almost nowhere, and under present conditions, it is also impossible. For example:
- The advertising market has completely collapsed; many media outlets have almost no revenue.
- Newsrooms have been damaged or destroyed; equipment needs mass replacement.
- Journalists are severely overburdened due to staff shortages and years of war conditions, according to figures from the Lviv Media Forum.
- About 100 media organisations risk closure this year due to lack of funding.
- A third of independent newsrooms have had to evacuate or relocate.
Without targeted international support, a large part of the independent Ukrainian media sector will simply disappear.
Media are crucial for transparency and social cohesion
In conversations with our partners, journalists, editors-in-chief and members of parliament, one point was repeatedly emphasised: sustainable peace is impossible without independent media. Media will fulfill two essential roles in post-war Ukraine:
- Ensuring transparency over the use of reconstruction funds.
- Supporting social cohesion: local communities have been disrupted and scattered, and media help build trust and reconnect different parts of society.
This is the moment to secure the future of independent media
Our partners in Ukraine have asked FPU to mobilise international attention and pressure to ensure media are visible on the agenda. We take this call very seriously. A future Ukraine can only be democratic and just if journalists can work safely, war crimes are not left unpunished, and independent media have the opportunity to recover and continue fulfilling their crucial role for society. The peace negotiations are the moment to guarantee this. Without independent media a credible, sustainable and democratic Ukraine is impossible.
