today 20.06.2013 14:40
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Human Rights in Ukraine Information website of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group |
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Journalists and media specialists are concerned that the closure of the website Dorozhny Kontrol (http://www.roadcontrol.org.ua/)) which monitors breaches of drivers’ rights could become the pattern for other forms of pressure on Internet publications. 
The Kharkiv Regional Branch of the National Union of Journalists has issued a statement demanding that the law enforcement bodies thoroughly investigate and punish those harassing the Director of Channel A/TVK Yelena Barannyk 
He suggests that the High Council should decide whether the measure taken was proportionate and whether the closure or blocking of websites falls within the jurisdiction of courts of that level. 
A court in Kyiv on Tuesday has allowed an application to temporarily stop providing hosting for the website Dorozhny Kontrol - roadcontrol.org.ua - until a final ruling is issued. 
The statement points out that over the last weeks Internal Affairs [MIA] officers have summoned journalists for questioning in three cities in various regions of Ukraine in connection with their journalist work reporting on damage to billboards with President Yanukovych’s greetings 
The Chief Editor of the information and advertising weekly «Ñâîáîäà ñëîâà» [Freedom of Speech], Irma Krat from Hadyach in the Poltava region says that she has been threatened with having drugs planted and a criminal investigation launched 
While the police deny putting any pressure on journalists who reported damage to billboards with President Yanukovych expressing New Year and Christmas greetings, another journalist has reported such police attention 
The Independent Media Union of Ukraine condemns the withdrawal of a draft law which would have affirmed journalists’ right to not reveal their sources and points to recent worrying examples of police pressure on journalists writing about damage to billboards with Yanukovych’s face 
The International Press Institute (IPI) has condemned alleged attempts by local officials to gag independent Lviv, Ukraine-based newspaper Express. 
Gazeta.ua informs that their report that the police had initiated two criminal investigations over damage to Yanukovych billboards in Lviv and the Rivne region has led to police interrogations of its journalists. 
As well as many other dangers, the author notes that both the current Public Morality Act and the draft law proposing amendments violate the principle of the rule of law proclaimed in Ukraine’s Constitution. 
The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union call on the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech to recommend that parliament reject the draft bill on amendments to the Law on the Protection of Public Morality 
During the night between 6 and 7 February Oksana Romanyuk, Ukrainian Representative of Reporters without Borders, was struck in the face while using her mobile phone to film building work near her apartment block 
On 2 February Special Force Berkut and Sokol officers, as well as people from the Prosecutor’s Office and Department for Fighting Organized Crime searched the offices of the television channel “Nova Odesa” [New Odessa]. 
If the Constitutional Court has ruled that a politician’s home is his fortress barricaded from the public by a double wall of metal and the right to privacy, there is no sense arguing. Putting the questions that are begging to be asked is much more efficient 
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