PEN America issued the statement below on the dangers facing journalists in Ukraine, as an American journalist covering the war suffered an injury following the death of another the previous day.
(New York, N.Y.)– Fox News Correspondent Benjamin Hall was reported to have been injured on Monday and hospitalized while reporting from Kyiv. On Sunday, award-winning filmmaker and journalist Brent Renaud was killed when Russian soldiers opened fire on his car in Ukraine. Ukrainian journalist Oleg Baturin disappeared in the Kherson region on Saturday.
Summer Lopez, director of the Free Expression Programs at PEN America, said: “The dangers facing journalists on the ground in Ukraine are increasing by the day. Vladimir Putin is working hard to ensure Russians cannot see the crimes he is committing in Ukraine. It’s clear he’d like to keep the rest of us in the dark, too. These courageous reporters are putting their lives on the line to tell the world the horrific truth of this war. The risks of war reporting are always high, but wherever journalists are being targeted directly, it is a violation of international law. All efforts must be made to ensure their protection.”
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected]