Many have been following Russian Roulette, Simon Ostrovsky's excellent video series from Ukraine. It seems that the Russian/Pro-Russian armed men that have occupied Slavyansk, eastern Ukraine don't like his reporting much:
Vice News Journalist Simon Ostrovsky Captured In Slavyansk
16:16 (GMT)
Simon Ostrovsky, whose dispatches from Crimea and eastern Ukraine have been invaluable, has reportedly been captured by pro-Russian gunmen in Slavyansk. We have translated the announcement published on Gazeta.RU:
The "People's mayor" of Slavyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, said that the militia has taken the American journalist, Simon Ostrovsky, hostage, reports a correspondent for Gazeta.ru,
Ponomarev announced this during a press conference at the House of Culture in Slavyansk.
http://www.interpretermag.com/...
He isn't the first journalist that has been abducted there. Some have been released, but two Ukrainian journalists are still held captive. And there is definitely reason to worry about Simon, since a recent tweet of his exposed the homophobic side of the self-proclaimed mayor who now has him being held in custody:
Simon Ostrovsky @SimonOstrovsky Apr 20
If [Avakov] comes here I'll personally put a bullet in his head... I won't shake hands with a faggot. Sloviansk's new Pro-Russia mayor
https://twitter.com/...
Please hold Simon in your thoughts and/or prayers.
12:06 PM PT:
UPDATE: The OSCE has called for Simon Ostrovsky's immediate release:
VIENNA, 22 April 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed deep concern about new cases of detention and attacks on journalists in eastern Ukraine.
“I remain deeply concerned about the ongoing negative pattern in relation to journalists’ safety in Ukraine” Mijatović said. “I call on all those responsible to stop harassing and attacking journalists and let them do their job. Simon Ostrovsky should be released immediately.”
According to reports on 22 April Simon Ostrovsky, journalist with Vice News, was captured by unidentified people in uniform in Sloviansk. The detention has been announced by Vyacheslav Ponomarev, self-proclaimed "People's Mayor" of Sloviansk.
On 21 April Maxim Danilchenko, journalist with Tochka Opori magazine, was attacked by unidentified individuals and sustained several injuries while covering a protest in Luhansk. On the same day Dmitriy Galko, journalist with Belarusian Noviy Chas newspaper, and Italian and French journalists Paul Gogo and Kossimo Attanasio were reportedly detained by unidentified individuals in uniform in Sloviansk. They were released shortly after being detained.
http://www.osce.org/...
4:31 PM PT: UPDATE #2: No news on Simon Ostrovsky on any of the very active Ukrainian Twitter channels. :/ All I came across while scanning for news was an article about how a Kobzar(Ukraine's version of Bards) has been disappeared, as well:
Kobzar/musician Vasyl Liutyi arrested and tortured in Luhansk
Posted on April 23, 2014 by chornajuravka
The Ukrainian Kobzar community (musicians who play the kobza or the bandura) has issued the following statement:
“The Kobzar community of Ukraine is deeply worried about the fate of one of their brothers, the Kobzar and community activist Vasy Liutyi. He was the emcee/leader of the meeting “For a united Ukraine” in the town of Rubizhne in the Luhansk oblast, in eastern Ukraine.
“We have learned that that on April 21, during a meeting in support of a united Ukraine in the town of Rubizhne, Liutyi was severely beaten and then arrested. During his arrest, he was tortured. We condemn the excesses of Russian chauvinists and protest against the inaction of the law enforcement authorities. We demand the immediate release of the composer and Kobzar Vasyl Liutyi.
http://euromaidanpr.com/...
It seems that things are now getting badly out of hand in Eastern Ukraine.