· On 10 May, a journalist of Russian TV channel Kuibishev 61, was allegedly detained by the Ukrainian security forces at a checkpoint on the road between Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. His whereabouts remain unknown to the family. On 22 May, the HRMMU sent an official inquiry to the MoI (via the MFA) about the case. On 5 June, the HRMMU was informed that as of 15 May a criminal investigation had been opened under Article 115 (Murder) of the Criminal Code. The HRMMU has requested more information on this case. · On 15 May, a journalist and cameraman of the ICTV Ukrainian channel were arrested on the border (Kharkiv / Belhorod) while performing editorial tasks by the Border Service and Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation,. Reportedly, after more than 15 hours of questioning without water and food and deleting all photo and video materials, the journalists were released. · Two LifeNews journalists, Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saychenko, were detained on 18 May near Kramatorsk during a raid by Ukrainian forces against the armed groups. They were released on 24 May (see section B, chapter V). · The HRMMU also followed closely the case of a British journalist working for Russia Today detained by the National Guard in Mariupol on 20 May for allegedly filming military objects. He was released on 21 May and transferred to the Consulate of the United Kingdom in Kyiv. After his release he tweeted details of his detention, including that he had been treated fairly. · On the night of 6 June, two journalists of the Russian TV station “Zvezda” were detained by the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU) at a checkpoint near Slovyansk. According to their driver, who was also initially detained and later released, the journalists were cuffed, balaclavas were put on their heads, and they were forced to kneel down in a ditch (allegedly, to protect them from possible shooting). On 7 June, the NGU issued a statement saying that journalists were suspected of monitoring and collecting information. The MFA of the Russian Federation reportedly filed a note of protest to the MFA of Ukraine. On 8 June 2014, the TV station “Zvezda” received information from the SBU that the two journalists were in good health. They were released on 9 June and transferred to the Russian Federation. Obstruction to lawful professional journalist activities 229. On 11 May, it was reported that Ukrainian journalists were not allowed to photograph or film the voting process during the “referenda” in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. 230. The same instances were reported prior and during the election day on 25 May. For instance, the journalists of the Voice of America were warned not to film the seizure of one of the polling stations in Donetsk. Attacks on editorial offices and TV towers 231. In the reporting period, there has been a growing number of armed attacks on the editorial offices of the local media outlets by armed men. Some of the examples are provided below. · On 7 May, the office of the local newspaper “Hornyak” in Torez (Donetsk Region) was reportedly attacked and its equipment was broken and damaged. 109 | P a g e