Their reports are banned back home. Criminal cases have been opened against them, and their social media and bank accounts have been blocked. Yet they refuse to be silenced and continue to tell the world the truth about the conflict in Ukraine. These are the stories of four foreigners for whom helping Donbass has become a lifelong mission.
French journalist Christelle Néant has been working in Donbass since 2016. She regularly sends her reports on civilian casualties and atrocities committed by Ukrainian forces to colleagues in the West. She hopes as many people as possible will be able to see her footage from Donetsk despite the bans.
Ugo Mattei, a professor of law at the University of Turin, faced harsh backlash for planning to show his students the RT documentary 'Maidan: Road to War'. His university’s rector, and later a court, banned the screening, calling the film ‘Russian propaganda’.
Liane Kilinc sold everything she owned in Germany to help Donbass residents who have suffered from Ukrainian shelling. As a result, her bank accounts were frozen, and a criminal case was opened against her back home.
French war correspondent Laurent Brayard came to Donbass shortly after the Maidan coup to show European audiences what was really happening there. Consequently, major media outlets refuse to work with him, his social media and bank accounts have been blocked in France, and he and his family regularly receive threats.
