Ukrainian media and civil society organizations, including the ZMINA Human Rights Center, call on Austrian authorities to launch an urgent, transparent, and independent investigation into the detention of Ukrainska Pravda journalist Mykhailo Tkach and cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko in Vienna.

STATEMENT

We, Ukrainian media and civil society organizations and the Media Movement, call for an investigation into the brutal detention of Ukrainian journalists in Austria and an explanation for the use of force.

We express our deep outrage at the circumstances surrounding the detention of Ukrainska Pravda journalists Mykhailo Tkach and Yaroslav Bondarenko in Vienna and call on the Austrian authorities to launch an urgent, transparent, and independent investigation into the actions of law enforcement officers.

On October 8, the Ukrainian journalists were detained while carrying out an editorial assignment. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Mykhailo Tkach was held for more than 12 hours and released only at 4 a.m. on October 9. Cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko sustained an injury during the detention and was taken to hospital. His questioning did not begin until nighttime. To date, there has been no adequate public explanation of the legal grounds for treating the journalists in this manner.

Detaining journalists for more than 12 hours, using force that results in a person being injured, and confiscating communication devices are extremely serious circumstances that require not formalistic dismissals, but convincing legal explanations.

We recognize the right of law enforcement agencies to investigate reports of possible offences. However, any interference with journalists’ work must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate.

The mere fact that journalists are conducting an investigation, particularly into public officials, cannot be grounds for intimidation, arbitrary detention, or obstruction of their professional activities.

The confiscation of communication devices is a particular cause for concern. For investigative journalists, these are not merely work tools, but may also contain confidential materials and information about sources. Access to such data without a court order and independent procedural safeguards may constitute a serious interference with press freedom.

Austria is a democratic European state obligated to guarantee freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. These guarantees also extend to foreign journalists who are lawfully carrying out their work on its territory.

We call on the Austrian authorities to:

1. Immediately disclose the legal grounds for the detention of both journalists, clarify their procedural status, and explain why their detention for more than 12 hours was necessary.

2. Conduct an independent review of the lawfulness and proportionality of the use of force, including the circumstances surrounding Yaroslav Bondarenko’s injury, and hold those responsible accountable if violations are established.

3. Immediately return the equipment and communication devices confiscated from the journalists and ensure the protection of confidential journalistic information.

4. Ensure that both journalists have full access to legal assistance, necessary medical care, and all procedural safeguards provided by law.

5. Provide official explanations regarding this incident to the Ukrainian side and the public.

We call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to continue providing consular assistance in this case until the circumstances have been fully clarified and the journalists’ violated rights have been restored.

We also call on international press freedom organizations, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and the relevant Council of Europe institutions to closely monitor this case.

Ukrainian journalists already work under extraordinary threats due to Russian aggression. It is unacceptable for them to face disproportionate use of force and unjustified restrictions on their rights while carrying out their professional duties in democratic European countries.

The release of a journalist does not resolve questions about the lawfulness of their detention. Nor can any investigation justify excessive violence.

We expect the Austrian authorities not only to provide explanations, but also to take concrete action to establish the truth, ensure accountability, and prevent similar incidents in the future.

Media Movement

Institute of Mass Information

Public Investigations Center

Euromaidan Press

Detector Media NGO

Natalia Lyhachova

The Ukrainians Media

ZMINA Human Rights Center

ZN.UA

Liudmyla Pankratova

ProMedia NGO

Suspilnist Foundation