A new monitoring of the Crimean Human Rights Group showed that at least 25 websites were blocked completely in Crimea, and 5 more were blocked partly.
Most of the blocked websites are popular Ukrainian online media. According to the study findings, at least 11 providers in 9 Crimean settlements block completely websites of 20 Ukrainian media. These are websites of Ukrinform, Cenzor.net, QHA, Sled.net, Informatsionnoye Soprotivleniye (Information Resistance), UAinfo, Blackseanews, Apostrof, Glavnoye, Hromads’ke Radio, Center of Journalist Investigations, Left Bank, Podrobnosti, Strichka, ToneTo, TSN, Ukrayinska Pravda, RBK Ukraine, Zerkalo Nedeli, Kherson Daily.
Such websites as LinkedIn, Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Ministry of Integration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, and Hizb-ut-Tahrir are also completely blocked.
In addition, some providers block 5 Ukrainian websites more.
For instance, such websites as Glavcom, Channel 5, Channel 112, Depot are non-accessible via 9 providers of 11.
The website of ARC and Sevastopol City Prosecutor’s Office is not accessible via 1 provider of 11.
The website accessibility was checked by monitors in November – December 2020 using networks of 11 different providers in 9 Crimean settlements: NeapolGroup (Belogorsk), SevStar (Sevastopol), Mechta (Simferopol), KCT (Simferopol), Bosportelecom (Kerch), YaltaNet (Yalta), SkyLine (Krasnoperekopsk District), Gigabite (Bakhchisarai), Kerchnet (Kerch), Dzhankoy Online (Dzhankoy), Feonet (Feodosiya).
A constant blocking of key Ukrainian independent online-media in the territory of the occupied Crimea violates the right to access to the information for the peninsula residents. Today, a smooth operation of professional independent media that inform the people regularly on the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic expansion, is vital for the Ukrainian society, including the residents of the occupied territories.
Keeping on such restrictions of the independent mass media in Crimea, the Russian Federation not only restricts the freedom of speech, but also poses additional risks for the health and life of Crimea residents.
