“Express” newspaper journalists complain of systematic pressure

As Lviv awaits the first visit by President Yanukovych, journalists from the newspaper Express have published an open letter in which they state that there is no evidence of a let up in the pressure on their newspaper which they say has taken on a systematic nature.

There have been no real steps in response to written statements from the editorial office asking for an investigation into the incidents where the building has been shot at and attempts made on the life of the Chief Editor. “Individual resolutions refusing to initiate criminal investigations are astounding in their unconcealed cynicism. The publicly made promise by the new Head of the Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr Tsymbalyuk  to meet with members of the editorial office has not been kept.”

They also cite a number of other cases of pressure on the publication and put one question to the President: “should people guilty of obstructing journalists in their work and organizing systematic pressure on an independent media outlet be held to answer?”

They call for a criminal investigation to be initiated under Article 171 of the Criminal Code, an objective investigation by an independent group of investigators and an unbiased court examination.

The building housing “Express” has been shot at three times, and several attacks made on the Chief Editor.

The Prosecutor’s Office has also applied to the court demanding a “ban on the newspaper circulating information” about alleged machinations of their body.

Abridged from the letter at http://expres.ua/main/2010/05/27/37426