Press Freedom Barometer for August 2013

In July, the number of attacks on journalists grew twice, compared with June, and made up 10 cases (in June - 5 cases, May – 8, April - 1). The number of cases of impeding to perform professional journalistic activities slightly reduced and made up  9 (in June - 15 cases, May - 8 , April -11).

In addition, in July, IMI recorded 3 cases of threats.

For the first time in the year 2013, there were recorded 2 cases of detention of journalists, and a foreign journalist was banned entrance in Ukraine. These are the data of the IMI monthly monitoring "Freedom of Speech Barometer".

Among the cases of beatings of journalists in July, the most violent was the beating and arrest of Russian photo-journalist Dmitry Kostyukov, who collaborates with The New York Times, Liberation, «Russian reporter», GEO, GQ, and Around the World. On July 27, when he was shooting participants of Femen movement, he was beaten, with his camera seized, he was arrested and forced to spend the night in a police station. Moreover, the next day he spent 7 hours in court, and was forced to pay a fine "for gross disobedience to police." According to the journalist, he was beaten by men in civilian clothes, while was standing and watching.

On the night of 18 to 19 July, during the dispersal of a protest action at the Independence Square in Kyiv, Berkut special police force beat TV 5 Kanal journalist Andriy Kovalyov. He had a microphone in his hands and produced a journalist card, but it did not stop the Berkut. According to Kovalyov, one of the men even shouted "Journalist, f…k! You think you're God?"

In Kherson, for the second time within a year, journalist Oleksander Tarasov was attacked almost under the same conditions. He was filming the moment when unknown young men were trying to evict a family from the apartment. Unidentified young men grabbed the journalist by the hand, covered his camera with hands, threatened him with physical harm if he does not stop shooting. After all, one of the young men pushed the journalist down the stairs and twisted his arm, trying to snatch his mobile.

For the first time during the last several months, IMI recorded the case of ban to entry the territory of Ukraine – on July 15, Russian correspondent Yuri Barabash was deported from the country and banned from entering the territory of Ukraine until 2018. Barabash reported that entry was prohibited on the submission of SBU, but the reasons for the ban was not disclosed. The SBU also did not inform about the reasons for the ban in answer to formal requests from the Institute of Mass Information. Meanwhile, according to sources of Ukrainska Pravda, Barabash was banned "for active journalist activities." In Ukraine, Barabash worked in Tempora publishing house, photographed street protests and actively criticized the Ukrainian government. Ukrainian Pravda repeatedly published his photographs of protests. In addition, he was one of the journalists who suffered during a rally in Kyiv on May 18.

Speaking about impeding to perform professional journalist activities, in Kyiv, journalists were again not allowed to attend the open session of the Budget Committee of Parliament. Only one journalist, Serhiy Andrushko, could break in there.

In July, the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine turned attention of the media-community due to problems with the freedom of speech.  Through a series of incredible "coincidences", short circuits and strange technical glitches, on July 23, TBA local TV-channel was forced to stop broadcasting. Local officials did not allow the technical staff of TBA to return the repaired equipment to the relay station, which is located at the Chernivtsi State TV and Radio Company "Bukovyna". Journalists held a protest at the building of the Chernivtsi Oblast State Administration, and appealed to Ukrainian and international organizations, authorities, requesting to intervene and stop the arbitrariness of local officials, which threatened the TV-channel’s existence. As a result, Chernivtsi residents were left without an alternative source of information, and some 50 people could lose their job.

In July, there were only two cases of censorship in the media. Viktor Leonenko – an expert of “Pro Football” program on TV "2 +2" was fired for his critical comment about businessman Rinat Akhmetov the next day after the program was aired. Moreover, head of the TV-channel’s sports projects Stepan Shcherbachov wrote an open letter of apology to the President of "Shakhtar"FC Akhmetov and president of "Dynamo" FC Igor Surkis. Another case of censorship also deals with the football – Vzglyad newspaper removed from the interview of Greek soccer club PAOK owner John Savvidi his assertion that Sergei Kurchenko is not the real owner of FC "Metalist".

Physical aggression

Arrests, detentions - 2

1. Five journalists detained in Vradiyivka

07.03.2013 In the village of Vradiyivka, the Mykolaiv Oblast, the police arrested five journalists - reporter of LB.ua Max Levin, and camera crews of TVi (Volodymyr Silyakov and Oleksander Nikolenko)and "1 +1" (Denis Danko and Serhiy Kirkizha) TV-channels, who were going to interview the former head of the Vradiyivka police department Vitaly Synytskyi. Reporters arrived at the house of Synytskyi and knocked on the door. His wife opened the door with the words "we do not give comments”. After that, the journalists went to the neighbors to take comments from them. However, after 10 minutes, a police car drove up with the police in flak jackets. They said they received a call about unknown attackers who entered the building area. The journalists were taken to the police department to write explanations. The investigator said that the journalists were charged on Article 182 of the CCU for invasion of privacy. The journalists were released in several hours.

2. Russian photographer was arrested in Kyiv during performing professional duties

07.28.2013 Well-known Russian photographer Dmitry Kostyukov, who collaborates with The New York Times, Liberation, «Russian reporter», GEO, GQ, Around the World, was detained on July 27, when he was taking photos of Femen activists in Kyiv.

The incident happened at a time when they left the house to participate in a protest against the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Kyiv Rus Christianization. The police claim that the Femen participants were already naked and painted, and photographer Kostyukov did not respond to the words of police.

Kostyukov was forced to spend a night in the Obolonskiy district police station in Kyiv. The next day he was held for 7 hours in court, and was finally forced to pay a fine at UAH 136 (EUR 13,6) per Article 185 of the Code of Administrative Violation "Persistent disobedience to the legitimate demand of a police officer."

Threats and intimidation - 3

1. TSN said that one of its journalists is under surveillance watching after story about drug trafficking

05.07.2013 Reporter of TSN news program at TV 1+1 Serhiy Halchenko claimed that he is followed by a black jeep with Russian numbers. According the TV-channel’s press-service, on June 19, the TSN.Week program broadcast his story about the drug trafficking in Ukraine. In his investigation, the journalist described the extent of drug manufacturing in Ukraine, and estimated that each year Ukraine produces marijuana at two and a half billion hryvnias. Serhiy Halchenko began his investigation in Melitopol, and when he returned in Kyiv, he noticed that he was being followed. "A black jeep followed me to the entrance of my house. The car stood under the windows, even when I was at home. Number plates indicate that the car is from the Russian Federation. I think those who control the traffic of drugs from Ukraine to Russia want to scare me in such a way, "- said Serhiy Halchenko.

2. Drunk official of Mykolayiv City Council threatened journalists with physical harm

10.07.2013 In Mykolayiv, a drunk man, who was detained by traffic police and showed a card of a Mykolayiv City Council executive official, threatened with physical harm journalists of Prestupnosti.NET online newspaper.

On the night of 9 to 10 July, during the arrest of a Range Rover car by traffic police, one of car passngers began to insult journalists who filmed the incident. He produced a certificate of an employee of the Mykolayiv City Council executive committee, and demanded that journalists deleted their footage. After that, he started to grab the camera. Asked not to touch the equipment, the man began to threaten journalists with physical harm. Everything happened in presence of the traffic police.

3. Journalist Serhiy Levitanenko accused Party of Regions local deputy of death threats

26.07.2013 In the city of Kotovsk (Odessa region), a deputy from the Party of Regions Natalia Vaytsehovska publicly threatened to kill journalist Olexander Yaroshenko (alias Serhiy Levitanenko). According to the journalist, she said the following: "You will be beaten the other day, they will make  thee a disabled, they will kill you! I'm hiring thugs! I promise you this! ".

According to the journalist, the reason for the threats was that he investigated into the activities of a local utility enterprise.

Beatings, attacks – 10

1. Journalist who filmed illegal eviction of a large family again attacked in Kherson

03.07.2013 In Kherson, journalist of Tavria news agency Olexander Tarasov was again  attacked when he was filming an illegal eviction of a large family from an apartment. Unidentified young men grabbed the journalist by the hand, covered his camera with hands, threatened him with physical harm if he does not stop shooting. After all, one of the young men pushed the journalist down the stairs and twisted his arm, trying to snatch his mobile. According to Olexander Tarasov, the Komsomolsky police department of Kherson opened criminal proceedings on the fact of the incident.

2. Unknown man attacked ICTV camera group in Kyiv

10.07.2013 In Kyiv, a guard of a car penalty lot attacked a camera group of Breaking News program of ICTV TV-channel. A man, who believed that his car was illegally withdrawn by the traffic police, turned to journalists and asked to arrive and check the situation. The journalists arrived on the scene, and asked to show the car. In response, a guard hit a correspondent into the face, pushed him to the ground and continued to beat. According to Breaking News correspondent Olena Sebeleva, the journalists did not enter the territory of the visited the area impound lot. "Despite the fact that journalists prudently did not enter the penalty lot territory and shot from a distance. Soon an angry man ran to them and demanded to stop shooting and get out, arguing that they were standing on a private territory," the journalist said. After the incident, the journalists called police, who promptly responded. Thanks to the timely intervention of the police, the car was returned to the owner free of charge.

3. In Mykolayiv, police twisted arms of journalist and broke her cell phone

11.07.2013 In Mykolayiv, the police attacked Natalia Barbarosh, the journalist of Podrobnosti.mk.ua, seized her camera and broke her cell phone. According to the journalist, on July 11, the police special forced blocked a building in 101 Lenina Avenue. She went to see what was happening there, when she was attacked by police. According to Natalia Barbarosh, the police seized her camera that was hanging around her neck and twisted her arms. The police detained the journalist for more than 2 hours, without explaining the reasons.

4. Another two journalists injured by police in Mykolayiv

11.07.2013 Employees of the Mykolayiv Department for Struggle Against Organized Crime attacked the chief editor of Novosti-N online newspaper Anatoliy Onofriychuk and reporter Andriy Prokopenko when they were trying to figure out why the police blocked a building in the center of Mykolayiv on July 11. The journalists arrived at the scene after numerous calls of local residents. When journalists tried to enter the building from the parking lot, where the doors were open, they were immediately attacked by several people in civilian clothes. Two attacked the reporter of "Novosti-N" Andriy Prokopenko, and snatched his camera. Another two twisted arms of chief editor Anatoliy Onofriychuk and took away his cell phone. Later the police returned the belongings to the journalists

5. "Berkut" beat journalist of TV 5 Kanal in Kyiv

19.07.2013 In Kyiv, on the night of 18 to 19 July, during the dispersal of a protest action on the Independence Square, Berkut special police force fighters beat TV 5 Kanal journalist Andriy Kovalyov. He said this on his page in Facebook.

During the attack, the journalist had in his hands a TV 5 Kanal microphone and showed his journalist card, but it did not stop the Berkut. According to Kovalyov, one of the policemen even shouted "Journalist, f…k! You think you're God? ".

Andriy Kovalyov suffered bruises on his back, chest, head, arms and legs.

The protest rally against the tyranny of local officials started on the Independence Square in Kyiv on July 18. Around 23:00, the police began to demolish the tent of protesters.

6. Berkut threw down TV 5 Kanal operator when he was filming a protest crackdown

19.07.2013 In Kyiv, on the night of 18 to July 19, Berkut special police force fighters pushed down to the ground TV 5 Kanal operator Dmytro Demyshev, who was recording on camera the disperse of a protest on the Independence Square in the center of Kyiv. According to journalist Mustafa Nayem, who witnessed the incident, the police tried to knock the camera out of the operator’s hands and threatened to arrest him.

7. Road Control Internet-edition journalist brutally beaten in Donetsk

21.07.2013 Journalist and activist of Road Control Internet-edition Oleh Bohdanov was beaten in Donetsk. Around 7 pm, two strangers were waiting for Oleg near his house. When he went to the door, they rushed to him and started to beat him in front of his wife and child.

Bohdanov connects the attack with the activities of Road Control, which exposes abuses of traffic police. Doctors diagnosed that the journalist suffered a fracture of his nose and jaw, and a brain concussion.

8. Road Control journalist suffered at protest action in Kyiv

22.07.2013 Road Control Internet-edition journalist Andriy Dzindzya was beaten by unknown people at a protest action of local residents to defend a park on the Tverska street in Kyiv. Builders planned to cut some 100 trees in a local park, and hired some 50 young men to guard them from the local residents. Many journalists and activists arrived at the scene. The “guards” seized the journalist card of Andriy Dzindzya and punched him several times.

9. Photo-correspondent attacked when shooting traffic incident in Kyiv

26.07.2013 Maxim Trebukhov, photographer for ForUA online edition, was attacked when shooting a traffic accident in Kyiv. Trebukhov, with other fellow journalists, came to shoot an accident that happened in front of the traffic police office.

"A group of people descended from the car which provoked the incident, and, in front of the Interior Ministry staff and other journalists, attacked the photographer. The police officer refused to respond and defend the journalist or calm down the attacker " – Holos Stolytsi reported.

Later the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kyiv reported that, when the photo-correspondent started filming the traffic incident, there was a quarrel between an incident participant and the journalist, as a result of which the man punched the photo-correspondent in the face.

The aggressor was detained and taken to the police station.

10. Well-known Russian photo-correspondent beaten in Kyiv

27.07.2013. Famous Russian photographer Dmitry Kostyukov was beaten by law enforcement officials in Kyiv on July 27. It happened at the time when he was shooting activists of Femen movement, who went to protest against the celebration of the 1025th Anniversary of the Kyiv Rus Christianization.

According to the photographer, people in civilian clothes attacked him at the exit from building, where he shot a plot about Femen. They were dressed and were moving to a taxi.

"I shot girls for 20-30 minutes at home, we went out of the house, I went first. And I was immediately attacked and beaten. The first person hit me, the second - snatched my camera. I did not resist, it's useless: if you start to pull the camera to yourself, then there are more options that it will be smashed," the reporter told in an interview with Telekritika. According to him, they threw him with his face into the asphalt and began to push. "At that point I said I was a journalist from another country. But I think they became even more encouraged," said Kostyukov. After the beating, the journalist spent 5 hours in the hospital emergency room, where he had joints imposed on his head.

After the beating, Kostyukov was arrested and forced to spend the night in the Obolonsky police station of Kyiv. The next day he was held in court for seven hours and forced to pay a fine in the amount of 136 hryvnias per Article 185 Administrative Violations Code "Persistent disobedience to the legitimate demand of a police officer."

Obstruction to journalist activities - 9

1. Lviv journalists were not allowed to shoot the arrival of UK Prince in the airport

02.07.2013 A camera group of NTA Lviv TV-channel was not allowed to work in the Lviv airport. The TV was going to shoot the arrival of the Prince of Kent and members of the club of old aircraft. The Lviv airport Security Service did not allow the journalists to work under the pretext that their names were not in the list of those accredited journalists. In fact, NTA accredited one camera group for the event, but sent another one.  Later, journalists asked the Lviv airport head to comment on the situation, but he refused.

2. Journalists were not allowed at VR Budget Committee meeting

03.07.2013 Representatives of the media were not allowed to attend the meeting of the Budget Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Only one journalist, Serhiy Andrushko, could penetrate to the session. "From all over the country, only one journalist was present at the meeting of the Budget Committee," - he said.

According to the Committee, the reason for the absence of journalists at the meeting was the lack of seats.

3. Official hampered journalists to work in Chernivtsi

11.07.2013 First Deputy Head of the Chernivtsi Oblast State Administration Georgiy Galytsya impeded professional activities of journalists who planned to cover a meeting of the local authorities with private businessmen in the building of the Oblast State Administration. He, along with Oleksander Sofronov, representative of a presidential commission, which worked in the region, did not allow representatives of the local media in an open public event in the public building.

4. TVi journalists had their camera broken during riots at Kyiv City Council

11.07.2013 Operator of TVi channel Yevhen Kiyashko had his video-camera broken during riots in front of the Kyiv City State Administration. According to correspondent Olena Opanasenko, employees of "Berkut" special police department, without any warning, pushed a group of activists and journalists, the people fell. TVi operator Kiyashko, who was shooting the event, also fell with his camera, which was broken.

5. Donetsk officials invited only communal media to public event

16.07.2013 In Donetsk, local officials invited only communal media to the meeting on occasion of the appointment of new management of the Ministry for Incomes Main Directorate in the Donetsk Oblast.

According to the Donetsk Institute of Information, the event was hidden from other journalists. Materials about the event were published only in communal newspapers.

6. Journalists not allowed to attend meeting with Interior Minister

18.07.2013 Journalists were not allowed to attend the meeting of Interior Minister of Ukraine Vitaliy Zakharchenko with a group of protesters from Vradiyivka (the Mykolaiv region), who came to Kyiv by feet within frames of a protest march against arbitrary of local law enforcement officers.

Journalists were not allowed to attend the meeting, even though the protesters insisted that the presence of media was necessary.

7. Journalists not allowed at meeting of Popov and opposition

19.07.2013 Journalists who came to cover the talks between the Kyiv City State Administration Head Oleksandr Popov and MPs from the opposition, were not allowed into the hall where the meeting was held. This was reported by Ukrayinska Pravda.

At first, journalists were not allowed to enter the room of the Kyiv City State Administration, after that they were allowed to enter only the press center, where there were tables with cakes, sweets and tea, but not the room where the meeting was held.

8. Plant director impeded work and pushed journalist in Volyn

21.07.2013 In Novovolynsk city of the Volyn Oblast, director of "Santehmontazh" plant hindered work of journalist Natalia Kamyshnykova (Our Town newspaper).

The conflict between the journalist and the head of the company took place near the Eternal Flame memorial and a monument to soldiers and border guards. Company workers were busy with dismantling work at the territory of the monuments. When the reporter tried to interfere and ask what they were doing, their director repeatedly kicked her and, using foul language, ordered her not to interfere.

9. Kamin-Kashyrski Mayor ordered not to allow journalist at city council’s sessions

29.07.2013 Bohdan Ptashnyk, editor of Visti Kamenya online edition (city of Kamin-Kashyrskiy, the Volyn oblast) turned to police with a complaint about city Mayor Vasyl Bondar and City Council Secretary Natalia Baschuk, who deliberately hampered his professional activities.

Ptashnyk said that in May and June the officials expelled him from the city council sessions.

The third such incident occurred July 29, when the Mayor again banned the journalist to attend the session of the City Council.

Ptashnyk asked the Prosecutor's Office and the District Police Department to investigate the above facts and punish those guilty.

Censorship. Access to information

Censorship – 2

1. 2+2 program expert fired for critical comment about Akhmetov and Surkis

15.07.2013 Viktor Leonenko – expert of Pro Football program on 2+2 TV-station was sacked  football program "ABOUT FOOTBALL," which airs on TV "2 +2" was fired for his critical comment about businessman Rinat Akhmetov.

This was stated in an open letter of 1+1 chief of sporting projects Stepan Shcherbachev to Shakhtar FC president Rinat Akhmetov and Dynamo FC president Igor Surkis.

In the statement, Scherbachov apologized for the critical remarks of the expert in the program on July 14. He noted that the editorial office does not share the views of Leonenko, and suspends cooperation with the football expert.

In the program, answering the question of presenter, who asked why Leonenko believed that "Shakhtar" FC was the early winner of the Ukraine football championship, which only just started, the expert said, "He may just buy it, that's all ... agreed."

He also doubted the capacity of Surkis as manager. "Players do not play, while receiving a $ 2 million salary. Well and who is in this situation a fool? Question to the President of the club," - said the expert.

2. "Vzglyad" removed mention about Kurchenko from interview

30.07.2013 Vzglyad edition removed a mention about new Ukrainian tycoon Serhiy Kurchenko from the interview with the owner of Greek soccer club PAOK John Savvidi. In particular, the edition removed his assertion that Kurchenko was not the real owner of FC "Metalist".

The interview was reprinted by a number of online publications, including "Segodnya".

Access to information - 3

1. Crimean SBU forced Symferopol city council to hide the city plan from public

15.07.2013 The State Security Service of Ukraine in Crimea (SBU) ordered the Symferopol City Council to impose a stamp "For Official Use Only" on the main city plan, the basic plan with the scheme of highways, the scheme of power supply, a circuit heat and gas, and other plans. According to the information of the Eastern Center for Civic Initiatives, SBU argued the Crimean Council of Ministers decided to close large-scale cartographic materials, and to consider them proprietary information.

According to the Eastern Center for Civil Initiatives head Volodymyr Scherbachenko, the actions of Crimean officals are a violation of laws "On Regulation of Urban Development" and "On Access to Public Information." "It's like an abuse of power or deliberate creation of conditions for corruption in the land and city planning area," - he said.

2. Chairman of investigative commission on beating of journalists not provided with information about incidents

16.07.2013 MP Vitaliy Yarema, chairman of the temporary investigative parliamentary commission on the events of 18 May at the European Square [where journalists were beaten], is not provided with complete information about the case. He said this to Radio Liberty. According to him, he does not receive answers to his inquiries to the Interior Ministry.

"I am writing inquiries to the Minister of the Interior, asking them to include me into the investigating team. I've got this right - to demand the head of the executive body to include me in checking the facts that were mentioned in my address or parliamentary inquiry," Yarema said.

According to the deputy, the young men who attacked journalists Olga Snitsarchuk and Vlad Sodel "acted with the support of the police."

3. Volyn Oblast State Administration refused to provide journalists with information about repairs

31.07.2013 The Volyn Oblast State Administration refused to give Natalia Kamysnykova, journalist of city weekly newspaper "Our Town" (city of Novovolynsk, the Volyn Oblast), information about the repairs area near the monument to soldiers and border guards in Novovolynsk.

In a letter to the state administration, the journalist asked to give her a copy of the contract agreement number 1-STM from 06.04.2013, appendices to this contract, and the budget plan of the work.

"Please also tell who is responsible for enforcing safety regulations during the repair work at the site and who monitors the compliance with the technical requirements" - read the request of Kamyshnykova.

In response, the management of tourism infrastructure provided only general information about the repair facility, arguing that the required information was confidential.

Indirect pressure

Non-admission of foreign journalists – 1

1. Russian photographer banned in Ukraine till 2018

15.07.2013 Yuriy Barabash, a Russian citizen, photographer and designer at the Kyiv-based Tempora publishing house, claims that border patrol took him off the train and banned entrance to Ukraine on July 15 upon instruction of the SBU, Ukraine’s special service, Ukrainian Weekly reported.

“I was going from Russia to Ukraine today. The patrol checked my documents at the Khutir-Mykhailivskyi control point and let me go. In Konotop, the border patrol told me that I can’t enter Ukraine. They brought me back to Khutir-Mykhailivskyi and explained that the SBU banned my entrance to Ukraine,” he comments. 

He says he has no idea why this happened. “Border patrol says they got the instruction from the SBU with no explanation,” Yuriy says. “Perhaps, the ban is because I go to various opposition protests too often, but what surprises me is that nobody had summoned me to the SBU before. And now they banned entrance for me, just like that. I had been arrested at a rally for the Orange Revolution anniversary for disobedience to the police and crossing of the road in the wrong place, but that was an administrative fine which I paid and was released,” Yuriy expands. Yuriy is currently at Khutir-Mykhailivskyi. “Border officers tell me that they will put me on a train to Briansk and I can get to Moscow from there. Then, I’ll have to find out the reasons through the Embassy of Ukraine in Moscow and think what I should do next. There is no way to find any information here,” he adds. According to Barabash, his ban on entrance to Ukraine is until 2018.

Political pressure - 1

1. Chernivtsi TV-station TBA says channel being deliberately destroyed

24.07.2013 The staff of the Chernivtsi TBA Regional Television Channel has sent an open letter to Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Jan Tombinski with the request to help protect the channel, which they say the authorities are trying to destroy, Interfax reported.

"A tough and open fight between the authorities and the independent media is currently starting in Ukraine, a state located in the heart of Europe. The authorities are starting to get rid of 'undesirables' ahead of the presidential election. Unfortunately, our television channel is one of the first hit by repression and censorship," reads an address to the EU ambassador, which was passed to journalists at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

The letter states that the channel started experiencing "physical violence" when on July 23 a fire broke out in the building of the TV center, which stores the equipment of four local channels, although only the equipment of the TBA channel was damaged.

"Since then, state agencies have been doing everything possible to ensure that TBA does not resume broadcasting," the channel's team said.

In addition, the letter points to the unwillingness of local authorities to communicate with the staff of the TV channel and the ignoring of their problems, as well as a letter sent by regional council deputies to the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting with the request not to extend the license to the private TV channel.

"Not even trying to hide their true motives, the deputies ask the national council to transfer the television company to the state," reads the letter to Tombinski.

In this regard, the TBA staff asked the European diplomat not to remain indifferent to these events but try to intervene in the situation.

Legal pressure

Legal actions and statements against the media and journalists – 1

1. Director of Zaporozhya "Vodokanal" brought suit at UAH 100 thousand against journalist

11.07.2013 Director General of Vodokanal utility enterprise in Zaporizhya Ihor Ocheretko filed a suit against Bohdan Vasylenko, editor of Subota Plus local newspaper, at UAH 100 thousands. Vasylenko wrote this on his page on Facebook.

In his appeal to court, Vodokanal director asks the court to refute 12 excerpts from the article of Bohdan Vasylenko "Decrepit profit of Zaporizhya water channels", which was published on the web site of the edition on 25 March 2013. The plaintiff also asks to "ban any spreading of false information in any way" (including communication).

Internet-pressure

Cyber ??crimes against journalists and media - 1

1. Hackers attacked INTV website

07.05.2013 On July 5, the web-site of INTV suffered a DDOS-attack. INTV.ua chief editor Oleksander popov wrote this on his page in Facebook.

"INTV channel claims that on Friday evening the resource has been suffering a tough DDoS attack, with involving up to 40 thousand computers with IP addresses from all over the world every second" - he said. The editorial office connects the attack with "a number of critical materials," which appeared on the resource on that day.

"In particular, the attack may be connected with an article, devoted to a deputy’s inquiry to the prosecutor general with the demand to investigate into the criminal activities of kinder-oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko," - said Olexander Popov.