Sumy newspapers are protesting against the restrictions of the access to information on the side of city administration

The greatest private Sumy newspapers, “Dankor”, “Panorama” and “Vash shans”, were issued with lacunas symbolizing the protest against the decision of Sumy town executive committee to restrict the access to the meetings in the mayor’s office. Since the middle of June the correspondents of these newspapers cannot be present at these meetings. Editors of the newspapers signed the open letter to town mayor Vladimir Omelchenko.

““Dankor”, “Panorama” and “Vash shans” are the most influential town newspapers that are read by every second Sumy dweller. So, the events that took place on 14 and 21 July, when militia did not let the correspondents of our newspapers to the building of the town executive committee and to the meetings, are regarded by us as an infringement of citizens’ right for obtaining reliable information about the work of town power”, the letter states. “We also reckon that the division of journalist into “needed” and “needless” ones (representatives of the newspaper “Sumy i sumchane” and the TV company “Vidicon” were admitted to the same meetings) does not agree with the principles of open and democratic society, which are declared by the Ukrainian government”.

«Svoboda slova: Poltavshchina», No. 38, 28 July 2003