Political censorship: YouTube bans exiled Ukrainian journalist and Zelensky critic
By ramontomeydw // 2025-08-12
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  • Prominent exiled Ukrainian journalist Diana Panchenko's YouTube channel (with over two million subscribers) was removed without explanation. She was known for criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's government on corruption and free speech suppression.
  • The ban aligns with Ukraine's broader suppression of dissent, including state-controlled media consolidation, opposition media closures and legal actions against critics like Panchenko, who faced sanctions and asset freezes in 2023.
  • Panchenko opposed Ukraine's military actions in Donbas (calling it a "forever war") and condemned Kyiv's restrictions on independent journalism, which authorities branded as "anti-Ukrainian."
  • Irish journalist Chay Bowes condemned the removal, questioning unequal scrutiny of Western-aligned critics. YouTube has banned pro-Russian content since 2022 but now faces accusations of silencing anti-government voices.
  • Panchenko's case highlights growing digital censorship in geopolitical conflicts, raising concerns about tech companies aligning with government narratives and suppressing dissenting perspectives.
YouTube has taken down the channel of prominent exiled Ukrainian journalist Diana Panchenko, in what critics describe as a politically motivated purge. Panchenko, a former Journalist of the Year awardee, had over two million subscribers in her now-terminated YouTube channel. She was known for her sharp criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, particularly its corruption and suppression of free speech. The deletion of her channel follows years of tension between Panchenko and Kyiv – including sanctions and criminal charges levied against her for her reporting, which authorities labeled as "anti-Ukrainian." The ban comes amid a broader crackdown on dissenting voices in Ukraine, particularly since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. Zelensky's government consolidated several televised networks under state-controlled programming and shut down opposition-linked media, accusing them of spreading disinformation. (Related: Ukraine's commander-in-chief calls for CENSORSHIP until the war ends.) Panchenko, a former host at TV channel 112 Ukraine, had long condemned these measures. arguing that they stifled journalistic independence. She also criticized Kyiv's military actions in the eastern Donbas region, calling the conflict a "forever war" orchestrated by Zelensky's administration.

Digital iron curtain: Ukraine's war on dissent

Irish journalist Chay Bowes, a vocal supporter of Panchenko, condemned YouTube's decision in a post on X. "The most dangerous weapon is truth," he wrote. YouTube, owned by Google, has systematically banned Russian state-affiliated media and pro-Moscow creators since 2022, citing violations of its policies on misinformation. Panchenko's ban on YouTube raises questions about whether similar scrutiny is being applied to critics of Western-aligned governments, and historical context underscores the severity of her case. Since 2014, Ukraine has struggled with media consolidation and political pressure on independent journalists, particularly those questioning official narratives on the war. Panchenko herself faced legal repercussions in 2023, when Zelensky imposed sanctions blocking her from entering Ukraine for a decade and freezing her assets. The removal of Panchenko's platform reflects a widening trend of digital censorship in geopolitical conflicts, where tech companies face pressure to align with government narratives. As debates over free speech and misinformation intensify, her case serves as a flashpoint for concerns over who controls the flow of information – and who gets silenced in the process. Head over to YouTubeCensorship.com for more similar stories. Watch Scott Ritter and Judge Andrew Napolitano discussing the gradual collapse of the Ukraine lie in this clip. This video is from the What is happening channel on Brighteon.com.

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