Journalists of "Express" made a barricade from newspapers near Lvivska oblast state administration

On January 4, near the building of Lvivska oblast state administration, an action of journalists of newspaper “Express” took place, named “Red Card for Hroisman”. The editorial office organized the action “due to blocking of dissemination of our newspaper by “Ukrposhta”, “Den'” reports. Several dozens of journalists and readers of the newspaper demanded to unblock the newspaper immediately, and to punish the officials in fault for the blocking. They were chanting: “Freedom of speech above all!”, “Stop the blockade!”, “Express” is for people, not for authorities!”. In addition, they brought to the administration building the printed copies that were produced, but the state-owned "Ukrposhta" refused to deliver. In an hour, there was a barricade several dozens of meters long made of hundreds of thousands copies of the newspaper. “We have an effective contract with the enterprise “Ukrposhta”, which was founded by the state. According to it, we are obliged to supply people with newspapers we produce. We do follow our commitments properly. But “Ukrposhta”, without explaining any reasons, decided to forfeit  its obligations. It is state-owned, meaning the state collected money form the people, but refuses to do the job paid for, to deliver the newspaper. Why? Only because they do not like what we write there. The people like it, the state does not.  We came to express our protest: people have a right to read newspapers that want, not those the government tells them. We will weekly - even free of charge - deliver the newspaper and to leave it here, near the building of the President's representatives, for all to see how the government treats Ukrainian press, the people who love to read in Ukrainian”,  the journalists said.     The protesting activists were approached by the head of the Lvivska Oblast Administration Oleh Syniutka. He said that he supports the journalists and that he sent the relevant letter to administration of “Ukrposhta”. At the same time, the subscribers of the newspaper claim that "Ukrposhta" sends them notifications that they return the money for the newspaper subscription. As IMI reported before, on December 28, 2017, the editorial office of “Express” newspaper claims that the state enterprise “Ukrposhta” blocks the delivery of newspaper in spite of the existing contract. The release claims that since the beginning of October, “Ukrposhta” blocked settlements with the publisher of the newspaper “Express” – in spite of the official document with acknowledging their commitments. The newspaper administration considers this intervention an "obstruction to journalist activities by means of artificial limitation of newspaper's delivery".