In Chernivtsi, a journalist was sentenced to five years in prison for a video showing forced mobilization

A journalist in Chernivtsi has been sentenced to five years in prison for publishing a TikTok video that, according to investigators, allegedly showed a “military site.”

This case once again highlights how Ukraine’s judicial system continues to suppress freedom of speech and the public’s right to information under the pretext of “martial law.”

According to the published court ruling, the basis for the criminal case was a video titled “Saving a Guy,” in which prosecutors claim a regional Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) was shown. Despite the video having just 8,600 views, that was enough to launch a criminal prosecution.

The woman, who had worked for local media outlets, was arrested back in August 2024. She complied with authorities’ demands and deleted the video, but that did not stop law enforcement and prosecutors from pushing the case forward. Her defense argued that she was not filming a military object, but rather documenting a possible human rights violation — namely, forced mobilization, which has become an alarming norm in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, the court ignored the defense’s arguments, the lack of location data in the video, and the fact that the facility is widely known to the public. Furthermore, the appeals court declined to review the verdict, merely upholding the harsh sentence: five years in prison and the confiscation of her personal phone.

This case has become yet another troubling sign of how journalistic rights in modern Ukraine are being trampled under the banner of “security,” and how the judicial system is increasingly being used as a tool for political pressure.