In Rivne region, journalists not allowed to approach helicopter’s crash site

In the Rivne region, the military does not allow journalists to approach the site where the helicopter Mi-8 crashed on the night of May 30th. The IMI correspondent in Rivne region reported it. At present, the investigators of the State Bureau of Investigations (DBI) work on the ground. The IMI’s correspondent told, the journalists are stopped for about a kilometer or two from the accident site, no explanation provided on the legitimate reasons for refusing the entry. The journalists for TV channels "UA: Rivne", "Pryamyy", "NTN" and "1+1" claimed not to get access to the accident site. The journalist for "Pryamyy" Larysa Mazurenko told IMI that the men in camouflage uniform explained only that the investigatory actions were underway and that journalists would impede investigators to work. "At 23:50, May 29, a Mi-8 helicopter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine crashed near Sestriatyn village, Radyvyliv district of Rivne region, and subsequently burst into flames. Four crewmembers died. At 01:02, May 30, the emergency service units extinguished fire," the press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine told, as to Ukrinform. The lawyer of the Institute of mass media Ali Safarov pointed out that, according to paragraph fourth of the Article 25 of the Law "On Information", the journalist has the right to collect information in areas of natural disaster, catastrophes , in places of accidents, mass disorders, military actions after providing his press card, except some cases stipulated by the law. The lawyer agrees that there could be some cases, as it is stipulated by the law, in particular, the cases when one has to preserve pieces of evidence on the ground, or there are some other circumstances stipulated by the law. "In any case, journalists have the right to ask on the grounds of which provision of law they are denied access to the place of the accident. The failure to refer to some precise legal grounds can be seen as restriction of the journalists’ rights, " Safarov said. "One should ask the contacts of the officer, who manages the security perimeter," Ali Safarov concludes. - If they do not provide the contacts data, if they do not explain, on the basis of what the access is denied for the journalists, so this may be viewed as illicit obstruction to the activities of journalists and the journalist can complain based on the article 171 on obstruction of journalistic activities. "