Protest by Kyiv Post staff over dismissal of Chief Editor

The Chief Editor of the newspaper Kyiv Post, Brian Bonner, has been dismissed by the owner of the newspaper, Mohammad Zahoor. The dismissal is apparently due to Mr Zahoor’s demand that an article be removed. “On the Hot Seat”, published in English and Ukrainian begins with the words: In Europe’s breadbasket, critics are talking about the ‘Great Grain Robbery.’ Agriculture Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk is under fire for state controls on grain exports that favor a controversial company, Khlib InvestBud. Speaking with the Kyiv Post, Prysyazhnyuk defended the actions.

The Chief Editor refused to remove the article and has been dismissed.

A statement released on Friday by the Kyiv Post editorial staff reads:

“Kyiv Post protests against interference in the independent activities of the editorial office.  We view as such interference the decision by the publisher Muhammad Zahoor to dismiss Chief Editor Brian Bonner over his refusal to remove an interview with the Minister of Agriculture, Mykola Prysyazhnyuk.

The Kyiv Post editorial team are beginning a strike with the demand that Bonner by reinstated in his post as Chief Editor. We will continue to write and edit our articles, but will not publish any news or issues of the newspaper”.

The editorial team also promises to provide the commentary from Mr Zahoor which he gave to the staff during a telephone conversation on 15 April.

A considerable part of the interview with Prysyazhnyuk is about the influence of Party of the Regions Deputy, Yury Ivannyushchenko, on Ukraine’s agricultural market.