National Commission disturbed by infringements of journalists’ rights

The National Commission for the Affirmation of Freedom of Speech and Development of the Information Realm under the President of Ukraine has appealed to local authorities in all regions of Ukraine, Kyiv and Sevastopol, as well as the Crimea, to ensure that their rules of journalist accreditation are in compliance both with Ukrainian legislation and with international standards. The President’s Press Service reported that this was discussed at a meeting of the National Commission.

In the statement issued the members of the Commission stress that accreditation cannot be a mechanism of permits for journalists’ work and are aimed in the first instance at ensuring the most effective work of media representatives, promoting open access to information in order that they can provide accurate and many-sided information to the public about important events.

The National Commission expressed its concern that over recent times there had been many worrying reports concerning infringements of journalists’ rights with regard to access to information. A large number of these concerned the rules for accreditation imposed by local authorities. In a number of regions of Ukraine and in the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea the accreditation rules in bodies of local self-government contain provisions which contravene the norms of the Ukrainian Constitution.

The meeting also heard a report from one of the Commission’s members Volodymyr Prytula about the present situation in the Crimean information sector.