The news about the alleged release of Oleg Sentsov recently set on fire the entire Ukrainian segment of the Facebook. The post of Russian journalist Victoria Ivleva, that actually was the only source of information, spread over the pages of indifferent to the Ukrainian prisoner of conscience. However, in the end, it turned out that the information was a fake, and there was nothing about the release of Oleg. How to treat such events and whether to search for the guilty ones – in reactions from DUMKA.
The post of Victoria Ivleva looked promising, it seemed that Oleg Sentsov‘s life was saved: the journalist said that the plane with Oleg flew, presumably, to the capital of Ukraine. Later, the author of the post added that she doesn’t have any other information, and moreover, she began to suspect that the whole news was just someone’s unlucky joke.
Sister of Sentsov Natalia Kaplan, also couldn’t immediately confirm or refute the information.
In a while, Kaplan published another post, in which she asked her readers to draw conclusions, and also follow two rules. Firstly, don’t call Oleg’s mother until the information is confirmed. Secondly, even if you own such an information, it’s not necessary to reveal it until Oleg does not leave Russia.
Ukrainian ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova also commented the promising fake. According to her, in the colony where Oleg Sentsov is kept, they joke with journalists and citizens who think that they have established contact with local workers. Denisova also told our colleagues that she had recently spoken with Tatiana Moskalkova, the authorized human rights officer for the Russian Federation, who said that everything was OK with Oleg. The rhetoric of the Russian ombudsman, according to Denisova, hasn’t changed.
A Russian journalist’s post was sharply criticized by political expert Olexiy Minakov. He emphasized that the Kremlin monitors and controls the information background about Sentsov, and Russian liberal journalist couldn’t get such news the first. The expert put forward the hypothesis that Russia is trying to unleash its own script on the case of Oleg, first they published the old photos, and now distributing the fake release of the Ukrainian prisoner.
“Pursuit of the miracle”, this way the head of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine Sergiy Tomilenko named this Fake News. Today, according to the author of the post, journalists should check sources regularly, to make sure they are not manipulated. As for Ivleva, Tomilenko believes that she was more excited by the expectations of a miracle that she could cold-bloodedly verify the authenticity of her information source.
Instead, blogger Anton Hodza is convinced that Russia works very well with propaganda and misinformation. The situation with the alleged release of Oleg reminds of a situation where the seller at the market allows you to hold the desired product: here it is, in your hands, you’re ready to give any funds. The same with Sentsov: according to the blogger, the Kremlin wants to bargain and receive several prisoners in exchange for Oleg.
Iryna Gerashchenko, the first deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stressed that we are dealing with “the lie of empire, fakes, prankers, and years of dark FSB practice of giving the false information to the light and decent people”. Herashchenko also urged to always think about the relatives because they feel the worst.
Journalist and civic activist Olena Balaba is confident that those who launched fake news about Oleg’s release know psychology very well. However, in the psychology of adults, who really are just children. Therefore, Balaba called for growing up, as well as understand that relying on “Russian liberals” has no meaning, even on their words.
Ruslan Gorovyi, journalist and writer, instead stood up in defense of Victoria Ivleva, stressing that she has literally lived for the last few months with Oleg Sentsov. However, Gorovyi stressed that quarrels around the fake won’t help anyone, especially since this news will soon be changed by some other press event.
More emotionally, against Ivleva critique was journalist Arkady Babchenko. He appealed to Victoria himself, stressing that it’s not worth paying attention to the “armchair sufferers”, who will spill their emotions for the whole next week because those ones are not worthy of journalist’s “even a tenth part of her nail”. These are the thoughts for you to conclude. The contrast of thoughts, nothing to say. Take care of yourself and don’t forget to think soberly and critically.
Reactions were collected by Stepan the Goat
