Due to election campaign, number of cases of obstruction to journalists doubled — IMI

In September, the number of cases of obstruction to journalists doubled — 18 cases for the month (in August – 9, in July – 5); at that, the majority of these cases is related to the election campaign. These are the results of the Institute of Mass Information monthly monitoring "Freedom of press barometer».

The people who were obstructing the journalists were representatives of «Opposition bloc» (7 cases), the party «Nash Krai» (1 case), «Agrarian Party» (1 case), and Territorial Election Committees (5 cases), almost all over Ukraine: in Ternopilska oblast, in Cherkaska oblast, in Zaporizhzhya, Luhanska oblast, Donetska olbast, Khmelnytska oblast, Volyn, Rivneska oblast, in Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad.

«Representatives of political parties and “titushki” (hired thugs) were not admitting journalists, or admitting them selectively to the party candidate nomination conferences. Heads of election committees were not admitting mass media representatives to their sessions, to committee rooms, expelled them from sessions, were impeding gathering of information by journalists during their stay in the committee room», Kateryna Diachuk, IMI expert, commented.

During September, IMI also registered 6 attacks against journalists with physical force, and 4 cases of threats.

Cases of beatings and assaults against journalists took place in Odesa, Kyiv, Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaivska oblast. The individuals, who committed assaults against press, were activists, IDPs, unidentified people, a driver who violated driving regulations, fighters of «Aidar,» and armed security guards.

Also, according to IMI, in September there were 9 cases of not providing access to information (in August – only 1).

Journalists were threatened in Khersonska oblast, in Kyiv, and in Mykolaiv. It was done by former people's deputy from «Party of Regions» Oleksiy Zhuravko, a judge, and a former assistant to people's deputy.

Full description of cases included to Freedom of Press Barometer can be found at http://imi.org.ua/news/50607-barometr-svobodi-slova-za-veresen-2015-roku.html

For reference:

Institute of Mass |Information conducts monthly all-Ukrainian monitoring of freedom of press, "Freedom of press barometer", by the following categories: physical aggression, censorship and access to information, economic and political pressure, legal pressure, and cyber crimes against mass media and journalists. Thge monthly report includes only cases related to freedom of press and professional journalist activities. For more details on methodology please visit IMI web-site http://imi.org.ua/methodsofmonitoring/41561-metodologiya-monitoringu-svobodi-slova.html.