On 27 June 2024, Roman Varshanidze, the editor-in-chief of Alternatyva.org, an online outlet from Odesa region, reported threats from an unknown person who introduced himself as an employee of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (known as GUR, Ukraine’s military intelligence service). According to Varshanidze, that day he was at a medical institution in the city of Ovidiopol near Odesa within the scope of his work as a journalist. At the medical institution, Varshanidze had what he said was an “unpleasant conversation” with the institution’s director. The exact topic the journalist was reporting on remained unclear.
“After our conversation, at approximately 6 p.m., I received a call from a person who introduced himself as a representative of the main intelligence agency [GUR], who threatened that if I came to the doctor again, he would send me to “[point] zero” [the foremost, most exposed trenches on the frontline in Ukraine]. I replied that he should start the procedure, because I will not leave this matter without attention,” the journalist wrote on Alternatyva.org.
Roman Varshanidze told the Institute of Mass Information (IMI), a Ukraine press freedom group, that on June 28, law enforcement agencies registered a criminal proceeding under Article 345-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which foresees penalties for threats or violence against a journalist.
“On July 7, I spoke with the investigator, [according to them] the information about the person who called [me] was not yet found, an investigative unit is dealing with this. Since then, I did not experience similar pressure,” the journalist added.