Media organizations offer legal support to journalists protesting against censorship

The Institute for Mass Information [IMI] and the Committee of the Kyiv Independent Media Trade Union have expressed their support for the journalists from TV channels “1+1” and STB who have protested against censorship and pressure.

The IMI statement reads:

“We are ready to provide legal aid to journalists who run up against censorship and pressure in their editorial offices, give consultation and defend their professional and labour rights in court disputes. For detailed information, phone:  +38 044- 566-15-34».

IMI also points out that they are continuing to monitor the situation with violations of journalists’ rights in order to gather public and insider information about all cases of censorship, political and economic pressure in the Ukrainian media. IMI promises to inform the Ukrainian public, as well as IMI’s foreign partners within the international human rights network IFEX.

“In view of the situation which has developed in the information realm, we stress that publishing cases of violations of journalists’ rights, journalist solidarity and a correct legal position are the main instruments in the struggle against censorship.”

The Kyiv Independent Media Trade Union has expressed its solidarity with the news service team from 1+1 who yesterday publicly stated that censorship was being imposed on their channel

“We are ready to provide legal and organizational support for our daring colleagues. We call on all journalists in Ukraine to support the colleagues of one of the largest television channels. And we also call on them to not be silent if in other media outlets there are attempts to crush freedom of speech. It is only working together that we can oppose new attempts to turn us into propagandists and information killers”.

The Kyiv Independent Media Trade Union also warn the owners and administration of the television channel 1+1 from repressive measures against journalists. “Otherwise the protests of our colleagues in Ukraine could develop into mass scale protest.”

More information about the protest by the 1+1 journalists can be found here: http://khpg.org.ua/en/index.php?id=1273151093

As reported at http://khpg.org.ua/en/index.php?id=1273240301 their protest has been backed by journalists from the STB “Vikna” [“Windows”] programme.