Ukraine's security service opens criminal case after Ukrainska Pravda report

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 4 February 2025 |  CPJ News Alert

Ukraine's SBU has launched a criminal case for alleged disclosure of state secrets. The case arises from comments made by the head of military intelligence to Ukrainska Pravda.

Summary

NEW YORK—Ukraine’s domestic security service (SBU) opened a criminal case on January 28 for “disclosure of state secrets” after independent news outlet Ukrainska Pravda published statements by Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, at a closed-door parliamentary meeting.

According to an unnamed source cited in the report, Budanov said that unless serious negotiations on ending the war are held by the summer, “dangerous processes could unfold, threatening Ukraine’s very existence.” Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence later denied the quote.

“CPJ is concerned about Ukraine’s opening of a criminal case for ‘disclosure of state secrets’ based on Ukrainska Pravda’s reporting,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Ukrainian authorities must commit to respecting the confidentiality of sources and refrain from putting pressure on independent journalism.”

CPJ was unable to determine whether the SBU opened the case against specific persons. The penalty for disclosing state secrets is up to eight years imprisonment.

“We act within the law and strictly adhere to professional standards of journalism. Ukrainska Pravda, as always, stands by its sources of information, which is guaranteed by the current legislation of Ukraine and international law,” Ukainska Pravda editor-in-chief and 2022 IPFA Awardee Sevgil Musaieva said in a January 31 statement.

CPJ emailed the SBU and Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence for comment but did not immediately receive any replies.

In October 2024, Ukrainska Pravda published a statement saying it was experiencing “ongoing and systematic pressure” from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office.

Several Ukrainska Pravda journalists, including Musaieva, have been obstructed and threatened over their work. Ukrainian investigative journalists have also faced surveillance, violence, and intimidation in connection with their work about Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.

In December 2024, CPJ sent a letter to Zelenskyy asking him to ensure that journalists and media outlets can work freely in Ukraine and that no one responsible for intimidating journalists goes unpunished. The letter was still unanswered as of February 2025.

Photo caption: Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence, attends the forum Ukraine 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 25, 2024. (AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)

KEY POINTS:

• SBU opened a case on January 28 regarding state secrets.
• The case follows a report from Ukrainska Pravda on military intelligence statements.
• CPJ expresses concern over press freedom in Ukraine.
• Bureaucratic pressures on journalists have been reported.
• Ukrainska Pravda maintains its commitment to protecting sources.