Parliamentary Commission wants moratorium on checks of media during elections

The Verkhovna Rada Enquiry Commission on Cases of Censorship in the Media at a meeting on 7 September supported a motion from National Deputy V. Kyrylenko to hold a special session of parliament on the media and the situation with freedom of speech, as well as on the passing of media laws.

Members of the Commission decided to ask the Verkhovna Rada to pass a resolution imposing a moratorium on checks of the media during the local body election campaign.

The Commission considered the disappearance of Kharkiv journalist Vasyl Klymentyev, issues regarding a number of TV channels of the Chornomorska television and radio company, the Odessa ATV, TVi and Channel 5, heard reports from representatives of regional media outlets on cases of obstruction of journalist activities and encroachments on freedom of speech from law enforcement agencies and the local authorities (the Kolomya Herald in Kolomya, “My Newspaper” in Khmelnytsky, the radio station “Lviv Woman”).

The meeting was attended by members of the enforcement structures, including Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Leonid Zyma. They stated that after the meeting they were going to Kharkiv to check why the investigation into Vasyl Klymentyev’s disappearance is going so slowly. Mr Zyma said that the case of the Chief Editor of the Kolomya Herald, Vasyl Demyaniv is already in court.

The members of the Commission asked representatives of the MIA and Prosecutor General to prepare information on all issues raised within 10 days.

The Commission will also send a letter to the President itemizing all violations and expressing their concern over procrastination in examination of these matters by the law enforcement agencies.