Bihus.Info journalists report ongoing surveillance

Journalists from the online investigative news outlet Bihus.Info continue to report monitoring by unknown individuals, while preparing an article on the very topic of the team’s surveillance by the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU).

Source: Alisa Yurchenko, an editor and journalist of the Bihus.Info investigation project, in an interview with Radio Liberty.

Quote: "We continued to notice spies outside our office. These were typical stalkers who walked around the office building. When we asked them what they were doing there, they couldn't give a satisfactory answer and would just keep circling the office. Again, there were cars with fake licence plates, and all of this persisted. Maybe it’s lessened a bit in the last couple of days, but until it became clear that we were going public with this material, they were definitely active."

Details: Commenting on the details of the surveillance efforts uncovered during the investigation, Yurchenko said that such efforts constitute a massive violation of human rights and invasion of privacy, and place undue pressure on the editorial team. However, they cannot yet specify who ordered this operation, as the identity of the instigator remains unknown to the team.

Background:

• On 16 January, a video was leaked on the Internet showing Bihus.Info employees allegedly using narcotic substances. Project manager Denys Bihus released a video with an explanation and assured the public that everyone who works for Bihus.Info will be drug-tested.
• On 5 February, investigative journalists from the Bihus.Info project claimed to have identified those who had installed hidden cameras in hotel rooms to conduct surveillance of its editorial board. They were members of the SSU.
• On 31 January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Roman Semenchenko, the head of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood of the SSU.
• The SSU stated on 5 February that the leadership had made some "decisions" concerning the personnel of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood after the release of the investigation by the Bihus.Info project about illegal surveillance of its journalists.

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