Committee on freedom of speech called on SBI not to interfere with Pryamyy broadcasting
The Committee on Freedom of Speech at the parliament is going to appeal to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) calling on to respect all journalists' rights. The committee stressed that termination of broadcasting of the Pryamyy TV was absolutely untenable, as the investigation was on.
The MPs passed the appeal on September 2 at the meeting of the committee, as Pryamyy TV reported.
The Pryamyy's General Producer Svitlana Orlovska said to be aware of new search the SBI was preparing to conduct at the premises of Pryamyy. Also she added that the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting was going to revoke the license of "Pryamyy FM" radio station on September 3.
Volodymyr Stashevsky, general director of Pryamyy, said that the SBI did not answer their inquiries as to why Pryamyy TV was material evidence.
“When we execute a court decision, in a day or two a new court decision emerges and they require to provide some documents which are not provided by the law. This is a way to block the TV channel functionning. This raises many questions and there is a suspicion that this is all a purposeful action, "he said.
At the same time, the Committee of Freedom of Speech did not support the decision to postpone the meeting of the National Council on the results of the inspection and the broadcasting license of "Pryamyy FM". Instead, the MPs called for presence of three persons representing "Pryamyy FM" TV channel at the meeting of the National Council.
As IMI reported, on July 21, in its open letter the Pryamyy broadcaster claimed about pressure and attacks targeting the TV channel by the State Bureau of Investigation and the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting. Pryamyy TV channel said that they have been "under total pressure from the authorities" for more than a year.
On July 9, Pryamyy TV channel claimed being under pressure of State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) for the purpose to close down the broadcaster. The broadcaster was going to hold a telethon "Hands off the" Pryamyy! " on July 9,.
Earlier, the chief investigator of the DBR Oleh Koretsky, who was probing into the case on alleged evasion and further legalization (laundering) of benefits, obtained criminally during the transaction of purchase and sale of Pryamyy" TV channel said that the investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation had been commissioned to formally establish the broadcaster as the evidence and then to put in under arrest .
The head of the channel, Svitlana Orlovska said that "Pryamiy" had addressed a letter to the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, in which tehy asked to respond to information about the pressure on the channel by the State Bureau of Investigation.
On November 7, 2019, “Pryamy” TV Channel claimed that the residence place of the owner of the TV channel Volodymyr Makeyenko was being searched.
The State Bureau of Investigation replied that searches of Makeenko were part of criminal proceedings over allegedly abuse of President Petro Poroshenko during the sale and purchase of the TV channel. The criminal proceedings were instituted on the statement of the former deputy head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine since the time of Viktor Yanukovych Andriy Portnov..
The DBR is investigating in a criminal case the possible abuse of former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko during the purchase and sale of the TV channel. Criminal proceedings were instituted at the request of Andriy Portnov, the former deputy head of the Viktor Yanukovych Presidential Administration.
On March 3, 2020, the Direct TV Channel received a decision of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv dated February 18, according to which the channel was obliged to provide the investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation with temporary access to things and documents (with the possibility of seizure).
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