Photo credits: Ukrinform
Journalists have right :
• To take notes, photos, to record video while fulfilling his professional activity (article 25th of the Law of Ukraine “On information”, article 26th of the Law of Ukraine “On printed press”, article 38 of the Law of Ukraine “On television and radio broadcasting”, article 307 of the Civil Code).
• To get unhindered access to all public events related to the election (article 9th of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”).
• To review all ballot boxes at the sitting before vote (article 75 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”).
• To attend the polling station the day of voting, while vote being counted and establishing of results of voting (not more than 2 persons from one mass media outlet). (paragraph 9 article 28 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”).
• No accreditation, authorization or invitation issued by the election committee is indispensable! (paragraph.9 article 28 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”).
• The status of journalist is confirmed by the identity paper issued by the editorial board or by other document issued by the mass media outlet or by professional or by an association of creative profession of journalists (article 25 of the Law of Ukraine “On information”, article 345-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
• To get information on election from Central election commission and from executive bodies (article 13 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”).
• To require criminal liability for intentional obstruction to one’s own professional activity (article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The police, within its mandate and competence:
• should provide the mass media outlets with every necessarily information on preparing and holding of election (paragraph 4th article 13 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”).
• the police can implement rule of law the day of voting and while counting of votes only beyond the voting premises (paragraph 11 article 28 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the Presidnet of Ukraine”).
• the president, deputy to the president or secretary of commission can call the police exclusively in order to restore the rule of law and for the period of time indispensable for such activity (paragraph 11 article 28 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”).
The election committees is entitled:
To forbid to representative of the mass media outlet to attend the sitting of the election committee. BUT exclusively on the ground of well-founded decision taken by at least 2/3 of votes of composition of the election committee (and this has to be recorded in the minutes), and exclusively in case if the journalist is hindering the sitting of the election committee (paragraph 9 article 28 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”).
This is forbidden to the election committee:
• To give order to take the representative of the mass media outlet away from the sitting the election committee without adopting a respective decision on the procedure which is stipulated by the paragraph 14 of the article 28 of the Law of Ukraine “On election of the President of Ukraine”.
• To obstruct to professional activity of the journalist (article 171 of Criminal Code of Ukraine), to threaten or to have recourse to physical force against the journalists (345-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
