Journalists take pictures from a TV monitor showing Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny speaking via a video link during a court session. (source: AP/TASR)
Vladimir Putin started a war. Now, he wants to silence journalists writing the truth about his war crime. His censors launched an attack against the remaining free media in the country; Putin has branded them enemies of Russia and agents of foreign powers for a decade.
The Russian police are arresting journalists who want people to learn about the protests against Putin's war taking place in Russian cities.
The Russian censorship office wants to ban free media and journalists from using words like invasion, attack, shelling or war. He wants them to refer to what's happening as a peace mission and only publish information coming from governmental sources.
But the truth cannot be silenced, neither in Russia nor in Ukraine.
We stand by all our colleagues who defend what remains of their freedom of speech in Russia. Ukrainian journalists are defending not only their country but also the right to freedom for all of us.
Our colleagues in Ukraine are in danger now, but so are all Ukrainians. This once again shows how important independent and courageous journalists are for our free society.
We hope our colleagues will soon return home safe and sound. But our Russian and Ukrainian colleagues will stay there, and they deserve our support and admiration.
Beata Balogová, editor-in-chief, SME
Peter Bárdy, editor-in-chief, Aktuality.sk
Matúš Kostolný, editor-in-chief, Denník N
Lukáš Diko, editor-in-chief, Investigative Centre of Ján Kuciak
Henrich Krejča, editor-in-chief of the news service, Markíza
Attila Lovász, editor-in-chief of the news service, RTVS
Roland Kubina, editor-in-chief of the news service, TV JOJ
Štefan Hríb, editor-in-chief, .týždeň
Júlia Kováčová, editor-in-chief, Nový Čas
Jakub Prokeš, editor-in-chief, Pravda
Jaroslav Vrábeľ, editor-in-chief, Korzár
Peter Palovič, head of news desk, Rádio Expres
Braňo Závodský, deputy heaf of news desk, Rádio Expres
Marcela Šimková, editor-in-chief, Hospodárske Noviny
Michaela Terenzani, editor-in-chief, The Slovak Spectator
Ivana Mandáková, editor-in-chief, Plus1Deň
Csaba Nyerges, editor-in-chief, Új Szó
Cs. Liszka Györgyi, editor-in-chief, Vasárnap
Michal Pobeha, editor-in-chief, SITA
Marián Kolár, editor-in-chief, TASR
Martin Hanus, editor-in-chief, Postoj
Alexej Fulmek, chairman, Association of Print and Digital Media
Marian Zima, chairman, Association for the Protection of Journalistic Ethics Alena Pániková, president of the Print-Digital Council of the Slovak Republic
Lucia Yar, managing editor, EURACTIV Slovensko
Radovan Geist, publisher, EURACTIV Slovensko
Lukáš Fila, publisher, N-Press
Ivan Brožík, editor-in-chief, REGIONPRESS
Branislav Karvaš, editor-in-chief, topky.sk
Peter Halász, publisher, JAGA Group
Radek Pozděna, publisher, REAL PRESS
Matúš Baňovič, editor-in-chief, Refresher.sk
Martina Balleková, editor-in-chief, TA3
Dávid Barak, editor-in-chief, Parameter.sk
Ronald Ižip, editor-in-chief, Trend
Mária Miková, editor-in-chief, Slovenka
Felícia Boronkayová, editor-in-chief, Netky.sk
Vladimír Mičuda, editor-in-chief, Startitup
Petra Ševčíková, editor-in-chief, Stratégie
