In Chernivtsi, Buknews’ editor informed Security Service of Ukraine about threats he receives

The editor of the informational portal  Buknews Yuri Chorney submitted to the oblast department of the Security Service of Ukraine in Chernivetska oblast a complaint that he has been repeatedly receiving phone calls from unknown numbers with messages that sound like a threat of physical violence. He has received 15 phone calls from 10 different numbers. The calls sounded like a recording or a speech synthesizer that repeated two words, one of them sounds like ‘die’. When Chorney dialed these numbers back he would be transferred to voice mail or the call would drop.

 Taking into account the scandalous court case against Chorney’s media outlet he cannot but feel concerned for his life.

 Currently, in Chernivetska oblast there is an unprecedented amount of lawsuits against local media outlets. These lawsuits are from local officials that were not happy with materials about journalist investigations of their activities and now demand refutation of these investigations and ridiculous amounts of money for moral damage. The journalists in the region perceive this as an attack on freedom of speech.