In Donetsk, under order from Donetsk People’s Republic Ukrainian TV channels keep getting switched off

Representatives of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” demand from the editors-in-chief of the newspaper «Donbass» Oleksander Bryzh and the newspaper «Vecherniy Donetsk» Leonid Lapa to change their editorial policies. According to the journalist of the newspaper «Donbass» Andriy Kryvtsun, who participated in the negotiations, Bryzh and Lapa together with him were brought by armed men to the building of Donetsk Olbast State Administration, where they had a meeting with a representatives of the self-proclaimed «Donetsk People’s Republic», who supervises mass media.

Kryvtsun admits severe psychological pressure was exerted on both editors-in-chiefs as the separatists were armed, but the conversation itself was calm. The separatists expressed their dissatisfaction with the fact that, to their mind, the newspapers were distorting the current events in the regions and not paying enough attention to the activities of Donetsk People’s Republic. The representatives of Donetsk People’s Republic demanded to change the newspapers’ editorial policy and suggested that if Bryzh and Lapa fail or refuse to do there would be other people in their places that would be more accommodating. Both Bryzh and Lapa believe that if they don’t comply this may endanger their own lives. They informed that they would hold the general staff meetings at their newspapers to discuss further course of action.