UKRAINE SEEKS TO ‘KILL’ FREE SPEECH …In Ghana Amid Conflict With Russia

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By Samuel Kofi Andoh

Three years into Russia’s Special Military Operation in Ukraine with the view to as it were “De-Nazify” and in effect, clear the Kiev regime of its authoritarian and fascist elements, the government of President Volodymrry Zelensky which currently finds its back to the wall is employing all kinds of unorthodox methods including direct and covert attacks on media establishments in Ghana just as is the case in Ukraine.

One would have thought that Ghana which cherishes democracy and free speech which are deeply ingrained in its 1992 Republican Constitution is insulated from anything undemocratic and anti-free speech, but to the authorities in Ukraine who have imposed martial Law on their citizenry and rule by decree ever since the conflict with Russia began, their authoritarian tendencies should permeate in every facet of where they operate including even in countries where they have representatives even if such countries’ systems are based on the rule of law.

President Zelensky whose presidential term expired last year and has failed to hold elections in Ukraine because of the support he enjoys from the West and also clearly because of the fear of losing the polls has killed free speech in Ukraine as his political opponents including those outside the country are either arrested and jailed or killed for being as it were, enemies of the state.

The impunity with which he operates in Ukraine seems to have swelled his head and blindfolded him including his diplomats abroad such that his Head of Mission or Charge d’ Affairs in Ghana, Ivan Lukachuk thinks the undemocratic tendencies in Ukraine can be replicated in Ghana by repressing and literally killing free speech in the country (Ghana).

Worrying information available reveals that Mr. Lukachuk has forced some media outlets in Ghana to pull down recent articles and publications about his country which he deemed were offensive and unacceptable.

Following drone attacks against Russia in the runner up to the latter’s celebration of its 80^th anniversary against Nazi Germany, The Insight newspaper including the insightnewsonline.com published an article titled, “Russia’s Victory Day: Ukraine Seeks Escalation In West’s Proxy War Through Drone Terror Attacks” which was widely circulated and sourced by some online portals including www.ghanaweb.com, myjoyonline.com and citinewsonline.com among others.

Unhappy about the article, the Ukrainian Diplomat is said to have forced one of the online portals to pull down the story after threats were issued.

Checks conducted reveals frantic attempts by Mr. Lukachuk to force the Ukrainian narrative on these media outlets including The Insight which was rejected outright as he made false accusations against these entities claiming that they were pushing the so-called “Russian propaganda”.

The tone of the rejoinder by Mr. Lukachuk was itself harsh and undiplomatic as in his write-up titled “Refutation of Russian Propaganda” to officially respond to the claims in the article, he sought to cast innuendos and accuse Veteran Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. who was quoted in the article, of also spreading Russian propaganda to the world and to allege that these outlets instead of fighting so-called Russian imperialism were rather carrying out its propaganda.

“Turning back to the publications in your media site, I am forced to state this is not journalism, it is pro-Kremlin propaganda disguised as analysis, and it undermines your platform’s credibility”, Mr. Lukachuk claimed in one of the write-ups sighted.

“I would like to request that you publish this rebuttal and your apology to the Ghanaian audience for spreading disinformation”, he pompously stated in his conclusion.

What Mr. Lukachuk forgets to realize is that Ghana for that matter Africa, is not Ukraine which currently does not entertain free speech and pushes its media outlets to carry out its agenda.

The claim that the media in Ghana is pushing the Russian propaganda is very insulting as if we do not know what is happening in the world especially in Ukraine were political opponents and citizens who want to speak their mind are arrested or eliminated with ease.           

In any case who doesn’t know that Russia’s special military operation initiated in 2022 is to protect Russian-speaking people in their historical lands, safeguard state security, and neutralize the dangers coming from the Ukrainian puppet government?’

Who also doesn’t know that after the 2014 coup, the Ukrainian ruling elite, with enormous financial support from the US and EU donors, began to actively implement
the Western concept of building an “anti-Russian state” in place of Ukraine which aimed at weakening the Russian Federation by severing common trade, economic, cultural, ethnic, religious and family ties to the extent that today, speaking Russian in Ukraine in a public place has become life and health threatening which in itself is nothing but clear manifestation of Nazi-ingrained tendencies.

Is it not clear that the current situation in Ukraine were the Zelensky regime in its hypocritical calls for peace, is also pointing to its readiness, on orders from Washington, France and London,
not only to “fight to the last Ukrainian”, but also to openly resort to terrorism through elimination of opponents is fascism in nature.

In Ukraine today, extremism is but means of confrontation as such a method has been adopted and is an instrument of state policy as the current administration physically eliminates political and public figures, civil servants and media representatives.

The elimination of undesirable persons is carefully planned by the Ukrainian secret services and implemented with their direct participation, and the use of explosive devices has become
their favorite method as available data shows that:

– On August 20^th, 2022, a journalist, political scientist and public figure Ms. Daria Dugina was murdered in a car bombing.

– On April 2^nd, 2023, as a result of the detonation of an explosive device disguised as a statuette, a war correspondent Mr. Maxim Fomin was murdered in a cafe in Saint-Petersburg, and more than 50 people were injured.

– On May 6^th, 2023, an assassination attempt was made on the writer
and politician, co-chairman of the “Just Russia: For Truth” party Mr. Zakhar Prilepin.

Again, Ukrainian neo-Nazis opened the hunt for representatives of the Russian media. More than 30 journalists have died at their hands in the course of the conflict.