In Zakarpattia, editor-in-chief reports pressure and harassment

The editor-in-chief of the online media outlet «Zakarpattia Online» Oleh Dyba reports that representatives of local law-enforcement agencies and one of the influential local businesspeople exert pressure against him to force him to keep quiet and to this end they started a criminal investigation against him. He believes the pressure to be connected to his professional activities as the outlet publishes materials about corruption and violation of laws by officers of local law enforcement agencies, as well as about embezzlement and plundering. 

Last week, he was handed a notification about a suspicion of causing intended bodily harm to the editor-in-chief of the media outlet «Vsia Zakarpatska Pravda» Vitaliy Holub. The altercation between two editors-in-chief, who have long had strained relations, happened on February 28 in downtown Uzhhorod.  Vitaliy Holub believes that Dyba attacked him because of his professional activities and journalist investigations. In his turn, Dyba believes that Holub represents the interests of the businessman Dyba’s media outlet has been publishing investigative materials about.

 Dyba also reported that during several last months he has been receiving threats and now he submitted documents to receive a permit for non-lethal weapon, as the Ukrainian legislation provides for the simplified procedure for journalists to obtain such means of self-defense.