In case of attack on STB journalists court demands proof that TV channel is media outlet

On December 17, in Kyiv the Court of Appeal of Kyivska oblast will decide on the case of obstruction to journalist activities of the filming crew of the STB TV channel in Irpin (Kyivska oblast) when it was filming a news story. This was reported by the STB editor Iryna Fedoriv in her blog on the Ukrainska Pravda website.

On June 27, 2014, the STB filming crew, journalist Iryna Drabok and camera operator Anton Sholomnytsky, went to Irpin on the editorial assignment to film a news story about  development projects that destroy local parks. They were attacked by the local real estate developer Oleksander Tabaliuk; he tried to take away the camera, tore away the lens and locked it in his car. The judge of Irpin town court Volodymyr Shumka declared the developer not guilty of obstruction.

A lot of journalists from other TV channels came to the last court session to express their support. The judge prohibited them to film and declared that it was not proven that the STB TV channel was a media outlet and thus covered by the legislation on freedom of press. He demanded that the TV channel produce a package of documents that would prove that it is a media outlet.