Appeal of the Sevastopol human rights protecting group to the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
13.12.2002
The appeal condemns some Russian mass media in brutal pressure on Ukrainian voters to diminish the number of votes for Yushchenko’s block.
To the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Ukraine
Mr. V. S. Chernomyrdin
Dear Mr. Ambassador!
We have the honor to express in your person our respect to the people of the Russian Federation and our conviction in the friendly mutual relations between our countries.
We are very sorry, but we have to draw your attention to the facts of the rude interference of Russian mass media into the parliamentary election campaign in Ukraine. On 30 and 31 March, that is on the eve of the parliamentary election day and during the election day, the TV channel „ORT“ showed the TV film, which represented negatively the political bloc „Our Ukraine“ and its leader Viktor Yushchenko. We are indignant of the ungrounded similarities between the political bloc, which convincingly won the election, and the German Nazi party.
We assess this action of one of the leading mass media of the Russian Federation, which broadcasts almost over entire Ukraine, as a premeditated attempt to influence the election. Thus, the Russian journalists and the „political instigators“ of the film doubt the capability of Ukrainian voters to make their choice among the political forces represented in our country without prompting of Russian „experts“. We consider that such attitude cannot encourage the development of friendly relations between Ukraine and Russia. In our opinion, the real interests of the Russian Federation must consist in establishing the dialog for the search of mutually profitable joint decisions with all the political forces, which are endorsed by Ukrainian citizens, and not in the search of enemies.
We ask you to pass our opinion to the Russian government, and we hope that furthermore Russia mass media will show more respect to Ukrainian voters.
With deep respect, Roman Romanov
The executive director
Of Sevastopol Group of Human Rights Protection,
4.04.2002
Mr. V. S. Chernomyrdin
Dear Mr. Ambassador!
We have the honor to express in your person our respect to the people of the Russian Federation and our conviction in the friendly mutual relations between our countries.
We are very sorry, but we have to draw your attention to the facts of the rude interference of Russian mass media into the parliamentary election campaign in Ukraine. On 30 and 31 March, that is on the eve of the parliamentary election day and during the election day, the TV channel „ORT“ showed the TV film, which represented negatively the political bloc „Our Ukraine“ and its leader Viktor Yushchenko. We are indignant of the ungrounded similarities between the political bloc, which convincingly won the election, and the German Nazi party.
We assess this action of one of the leading mass media of the Russian Federation, which broadcasts almost over entire Ukraine, as a premeditated attempt to influence the election. Thus, the Russian journalists and the „political instigators“ of the film doubt the capability of Ukrainian voters to make their choice among the political forces represented in our country without prompting of Russian „experts“. We consider that such attitude cannot encourage the development of friendly relations between Ukraine and Russia. In our opinion, the real interests of the Russian Federation must consist in establishing the dialog for the search of mutually profitable joint decisions with all the political forces, which are endorsed by Ukrainian citizens, and not in the search of enemies.
We ask you to pass our opinion to the Russian government, and we hope that furthermore Russia mass media will show more respect to Ukrainian voters.
With deep respect, Roman Romanov
The executive director
Of Sevastopol Group of Human Rights Protection,
4.04.2002