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The authorities continue to persecute the only Crimean Ukrainian-language newspaper

13.12.2002   
Volodymir Pritula, Simferopol
In spite of the personal President’s order the local authorities continue to oppress the newspaper “Krymska svitlytsia”.
The bureaucrats of all levels continue to harass the collective and readers of the newspaper "Krymska svitlytsia", the only Ukrainian-language newspaper in the autonomous republic. For the umpteenth time the officials try to throw away from the office the editorial board of the newspaper.

Only three months ago the collective of "Krymska svitlytsia" celebrated their removal to the new office: by order of President Leonid Kuchma they got several rooms in the Simferopol base "Artek". At their own expense the newspaper staff managed to make some repair, the Media-fund at the USA Embassy in Ukraine helped them to purchase several telephone numbers and to organize their site in the Internet. Now the site of "Krymska svitlytsia" is the best and most popular web-site in the Crimea.

For the first time after 10 years of the existence, owing to the efforts of journalists, authorities, Ukrainian and foreign public, the newspaper "Krymska svitlytsia" got the normal conditions for work. This affected both the quality of the newspaper and the number of the subscribers: the both indices essentially increased. Viktor Kachula, the editor-in-chief of "Krymska svitlytsia", says that the journalists are surprised by the position of the presidential administration managing the base "Artek". Half a year ago the Ukrainian President ordered to the central and Crimean authorities to create the proper conditions for the work of the newspaper "Krymska svitlytsia" – the newspaper that cannot be called either pro-power or opposition, the high-quality and objective newspaper. So, the today’s situation is caused either by the stupidity of bureaucrats or by the revenge for the honest position of the newspaper. Journalists of the only Crimean Ukrainian-language newspaper sending letters to top state authorities again and again asking for protection and help. They still believe that the power in Ukraine is Ukrainian at least for a bit.

10 December
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