Journalist in Volyn region claimed to be threatened

Oksana Petruk, journalist for the Center of journalistic investigations “Power of truth” reported being threatened through the social network Facebook and filed the complaint to the police. She told it to the IMI correspondent in Volyn region, Maya Golub. According to Petruk, the treats began after she published an investigative story on a mink farm to be opened in the village of Pidgorne. The next day after this publication she got treats from a man Volodymyr Polishchuk. She complained the police about the incident, but the reaction of the policeman was surprising, he tried to persuade her not to file a complaint, as she said. The IMI lawyer Ali Safarov commented the incident saying all threats to have recourse to physical force against any journalist in connection to his professional activity is to entail the criminal liability. “The law of Ukraine defined that offenses, critical evaluation of some actions are evaluative judgment. In conformity to the paragraph 1st of the article 30 of the law “On information” no one could be prosecuted for an evaluative judgment. The non-responsibility for evaluative judgement does concern not only journalists, but statements targetting the journalists. Contrary to insults, the treats to use force against the journalist due to his professional activity is breach to the law and could entail criminal liability in conformity to the paragraph 1st of the article 345-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine”.