From political prisoners and punitive psychiatry to dissident writers being prevented from travelling abroad, the Soviet echoes in Russian-occupied Crimea are becoming increasingly pronounced. On Nov. 28, Mykola Semena was not able to personally receive the Pavel Sheremet Journalism Award 2016 at a ceremony in Brussels. The award was accepted on his behalf by the Chief Editors of Radio Svoboda and its Crimean Service, Krym.Realii.
It is certainly the case in most countries that a person facing criminal charges can have his freedom of travel restricted. It is only in authoritarian states, and territory occupied by such a regime, that a person is prosecuted for views expressed in an article. The latter applies in Semena’s case. The 59-year-old journalist has been charged with ‘public calls to action aimed at violating Russia’s territorial integrity’ for a text which makes it clear that Crimea is not Russia’s territory and expresses support for the Civic Blockade of Crimea, launched in Sept. 2015 with very specific human rights demands, such as the release of all political prisoners.
