Donetsk journalists allege violation of their rights

The Verkhovna Rada Enquiry Commission on Investigations into Cases of Media Censorship has called upon the Prosecutor General to check allegations made by journalists that their rights were infringed during the elections for Rector of Donetsk National University.

9 journalists from TV STB, the UNIAN Information Agency, Holos Ukrainy, Dzerkalo Tyzhnya, Ukraina Moloda and the Ostriv website addressed a joint complaint to the Donets Regional Prosecutor claiming that their professional rights to freely receive information during the said election had been violated.

They allege that the date and time of the meeting (and election) were initially concealed from the press and that the Head of the University’s Press Service, Oleksandr But banned “undesirable journalists” from being present at the meeting between the University staff and the Deputy Minister of Education, Yevhen Sulyma.  Although, after protests to the Deputy Minister, they were admitted, they were put in a place with no facilities for carrying out their work and not allowed near the second floor where the actual election was taking place.

They assert that this infringed their right to freely receive information and visit State institutions as guaranteed by legislation on the media.

They ask for a criminal investigation to be initiated and the level of liability to be investigated of Petro Yehorov, Acting Rector.  

The 10 December election resulted in victory for Yury Lysenko against the candidate very obviously favoured by the leaders of the Ministry of Education. More about that event and those which have followed can be found here: http://khpg.org/en/1292711565

From information at http://telekritika.ua/news/2010-12-22/58635