On 1 August 2012 Volodymyr Honcharenko, a well-known ecologist and public activist, who was critical of the authorities for their lack of accountability with regard to environmental safety and security, was stopped in his car on the road and severely beaten by unidentified men. Despite the serious head trauma he had suffered, Honcharenko managed to get home and explain what had happened to him, but later lost consciousness and passed away in hospital on 3 August.

Honcharenko’s work the reason for the attack

Honcharenko’s colleagues and family are convinced that his work – in particular his latest public appearance – were the reason for the brutal attack on him.

During his last appearance at a press conference on 27 July, Honcharenko warned of a potential ‘chemical time bomb’ in the Saksaganskyi Region of Kryvyi Rog, where he and his colleagues had discovered that 180 tons of chemically contaminated and radioactive scrap metals were being moved around freely.

ARTICLE 19 is concerned that the investigation into Honcharenko’s murder is treated as a random criminal act rather than an act aimed at preventing him from talking about issues he raised. Violence and other crimes against those exercising their right to freedom of expression are crimes against this right as a whole and should not be regarded as an ‘ordinary’ crime.

Furthermore ARTICLE 19 is concerned that any failure to recognise the freedom of expression aspects of Honcharenko’s case would constitute a severe blow to freedom of information in the country. Similarly, impunity in Honcharenko’s case, as has sadly been seen in the cases of murdered journalists in Ukraine like journalist Georgiy Gongadze who was killed in 2000, would also undermine freedom of expression in the country. ARTICLE 19 notes that states have a positive obligation under international human rights law to protect those exercising their right to freedom of expression, including journalists, human rights defenders and public activists, and investigate and punish those responsible for crimes against them.

Killing of Honcharenko not an isolated case

Unfortunately, the killing of Volodymyr Honcharenko is not an isolated case. In fact, ever since the presidential election the freedom of expression has been gradually declining.

“Make freedom of expression a reality, Mr President” was a special report on Press Freedom in Ukraine published against the backdrop of developments in the Georgiy Gongadze’s murder investigation, where the Kyiv Appellate Court has upheld on 26 June the decision to drop criminal charges against former President Kuchma, one of the high ranking government officials implicated. During the mission to Ukraine, from 2 to 4 April 2012, the participants called specifically on President Yanukovich to ensure that the judicial process in the case of Georgiy Gongadze’s murder in 2000 is independent, transparent and fair. The mission expressed concern at the time that the trial against one of the alleged organisers of the murder, Oleksiy Pukach, continues to be held behind closed doors. Now that the charges against former President Kuchma, who has long been implicated in Georgiy Gongadze’s disappearance and murder, is worrying, as without the necessary transparency it is difficult to believe that there is political will to bring those accountable to justice.

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