Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au

Aaron Bunch
Perth photographer Bohdan Warchomij angry over censorship of MH17 images

July 7, 2015

A Perth photographer who was in the Ukraine when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down says the censorship of his work has deprived the victims of having their story told.

Veteran press photographer Bohdan Warchomij, who is of Ukrainian descent, had one of his most graphic photos pixilated without prior consent in the recent WA Press Photographer of the Year Awards exhibition, held at the museum.

Mr Warchomij said the manipulation of an image that shows a female passenger’s leg ripped from her hip in a wheat field silenced the photograph’s powerful message.

“It was censorship and an insult to the people who died, their story deserves to be told,” Mr Warchomij said.

“I was horrified by what I was seeing, but I felt I needed to document everything, especially the people.”

Two hundred and ninety-eight passengers on board MH17 died almost one year ago on July 17, 2014 when the plane was struck by a surface-to-air missile allegedly launched by Russian backed Ukrainian separatists.

Thirty-eight Australians were among the dead.

The photo’s manipulation raises questions over whether such censorship is necessary to protect the public from truly disturbing imagery, or whether it deprives an audience from seeing the reality of war and terrorism.

A press-photographer for 25 years, Mr Warchomij documented the Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution and produced the book, Portrait of a Revolution. He returned in May 2014 to photograph the civil war in eastern Ukraine.

He said that he wanted to tell the story of the MH17 victims with respect.

“I tried to tell their story truly, but to respect them as well,” Mr Warchomij said.

Bill Hatto, a press photographer at The West Australian since 1984 and an organiser of the event, defended the decision.

“When Bodhan Warchomij’s MH17 photo arrived it hit me like a sledge hammer,” Mr Hatto said.

“It’s not the sort of entry we usually see, but it was good work, he was a finalist.”

Mr Hatto said the photo made him think of the Maslin family, who lost three children in the attack.

“I spoke to the three judges and while we understand that Bodhan’s photo represents the stark reality of what happened, we also felt we needed to protect the local audience from something that was actually quite upsetting,” Mr Hatto said.

“Australian newspapers won’t publish this type of content.”

The WA Photo exhibition has been replaced at the museum with the winning 145 photographs of the World Press Photo Exhibition.

World Press Photo does not allow censorship of photos on display.

Among the many photos to be displayed is Magnum photographer Jerome Sessini’s award winning image of a deceased MH17 passenger still strapped into his plane seat lying in a wheat field.

“Host cities know the rules before agreeing to the exhibition – no images can be censored,” local coordinator Laura Strentz said.

“World Press Photo has not ceded to censorship in the 58 years of the exhibition.”

Ms Strentz said that the MH17 images in the exhibition would be confronting for many viewers.

“As the exhibition travels the world many people ask – why do I want to see this?”

“The answer rests in the history present in each image. While shock and sadness may be a response, awareness is also raised, conversations open up and people connect. Change seldom comes from being at ease or comfortable.”

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