comments to their stories because of the virulent comments people were posting. The increasing level of hate speech must be addressed by the country’s political leaders, who have yet to speak out publicly against it. 149. There remains a need to combat intolerance and extremism and to prevent national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement. As armed groups fighting in the east are no longer just local people wanting more regional autonomy or a separate autonomous state, but are being organized by professional fighters not Ukrainian citizens, there has been an increased ‘anti-Russia’ rhetoric with demonstrations targeting Russian-owned banks and business on the grounds that they are ‘financing terrorists’. Some of these demonstrations have resulted in the defacement of property. 150. Given the rise in Ukraine of instances of hate speech and other forms of intolerance expressed through social media and the internet, it is worth noting here the report on racism, the internet and social media, recently issued by the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance92. In it he says that while the internet serves as a formidable vehicle for the exercise of free speech, it also provides a powerful platform for the rapid dissemination of racist ideas, ideologies and incitement to hatred. A comprehensive, multi-stakeholder approach is necessary to effectively counter expressions of racism on the internet and social media. 151. Journalists, media professionals and human rights defenders need protection so that they are able to do their jobs. Harassment, intimidation, manipulation and abductions of journalists have continued to occur in the east, and at least five journalists have been killed since the fighting began in April. None of these journalists was using any personal safety equipment93. The circumstances around one of the latest cases were particularly horrifying. In an operation led by an armed group on 30 June as the 10-day curfew ended, a bus of civilians, including journalists and a group of women, was sent in the middle of the night to a besieged Ukrainian military base, endangering the lives of the civilians during an attack on the base. The journalists had been told that the women on the bus were mothers of soldiers and their presence would ensure that the Ukrainian soldiers in the base would surrender peacefully. However, one of the journalists on the bus reported later that he spoke with the women and was told that none of them was a mother of any soldier. Gunfire broke out as the bus approached the military base; the bus driver was wounded and one journalist killed. The armed group has evidently ‘arrested’ one of its own activists for organizing this staged provocation. 152. In the east, attempts at manipulation of the media have been especially egregious. Many journalists previously working in the east have already fled after being abducted, harassed, intimidated or otherwise threatened. Those that remain in Luhansk have been instructed by the armed groups on how they should report the news. Words such as ‘separatist’ and ‘terrorist’ should not be used, they were told, and each Monday there would be a meeting with the editors of local media to instruct them on what to cover and how. Media outlets were threatened that if they did not cover the activities of the armed 92 Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Racism/A-HRC-26-49.pdf. 93 On 3 June, the National Journalist Union announced that in cooperation with the OSCE, a special point was opened where journalists could rent flak jackets and other personal safety equipment. On 15 July, the Ukrainian NGO Institute of Mass Information informed the HRMMU that they collect and provide flak jackets to all accredited journalists who work in the east. The accreditation is granted by the Security Service of Ukraine. So far, all journalists who applied for accreditation have received it. The IMI is deeply concerned that many Russian journalists work in Donbas without any accreditation or proper documents and without even basic security training. 161 | P a g e