Appeal to the Heads of Political Parties

NGOs, monitoring the violation of journalists' rights in Ukraine, want you to pay attention to the increase in a number of case of causing obstruction to journalist professional activities in 2012. Thus, only during 10 months of this year there were recorded 144 cases, in comparison to 37 cases in 2011 and 48 cases in 2010.

You should pay special attention to ignominious behaviour of the representatives of political parties, who are protected by the parliamentary immunity, and officials, who are the members of pro-governmental political parties. Some deputies and officials, including their assistants and the staff of election offices, dared to publicly insult honour and dignity of journalists and also physically abuse them to obstruct their professional activities.

The last case happened in Crimea, when on November, 28, 2012, Oleksandr Melnyk, a Deputy from the Party Regions of Crimea in the Crimean Parliament, verbally abused Shevket Haniev, a journalist of State TV and Radio Company Crimea, in the hall of Verhovna Rada of Autonomous Republic of Crimea (ARC). The case caused great resonance among the journalists.

The lexicon of the rep of the Party of Regions, his aggressive behaviour in the building of the Crimean Parliament, deserve moral disapproval of not only journalists, but also his colleagues in the Party and the Parliament.

Here are only some quotes of Melnyk, where there are no obscene words.

- Respect the deputies, mind the place, where you've come! Totally grow impudent here!

- You'll make comments to your wife!

- How you dare to record? You'll be recording all your life by your sweat in your place!
- Here is some dude tells me how to speak: in a low voice or not!
- Shut your mouth, you're completely out of hand!

Crimean human rights Media organizations have already appealed to the Head of Verhovna Rada of ARC and the Head of CR organization of the Party of Regions with the demand to discuss and provide an adequate assessment of this incorrect behaviour and actions of Melnyk, a deputy, at the meeting of the Permanent Commission on legislative activities, organization of VR functioning and PR and at the meeting of the fraction Regions of Crimea.

Ukrainian Media organizations support the demands of Crimean colleagues and ask Mykola Azarov, a Head of the Party of Regions, and the Heads of all parliamentary parties to react adequately to this shameful incident that happened in the building of the Crimean Parliament, and publicly express disapproval of such practices by the Party members in their relations with Media.