Law enforcement officers initiated case for instigation of hostility by newspaper "Chortkivskyi visnyk"

The prosecutor's office of Ternopilska oblast supervises the procedure of criminal investigation of instigation of interethnic hostility in the publication of newspaper “Chortkivskyi visnyk” as of February 2, 2018 titled “Heebs or Jews”. This was reported on the website of the prosecutor's office of Ternopilska oblast. The criminal case was started by police investigation based on part 2, article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (instigation of interethnic hostility, committed by an official). As Hromadske radio reports, Office of High Commissioner on Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called the publication of the newspaper “Chortkivskyi visnyk" one intent on humiliation of honor and dignity of the Jewish people. It also emphasized the use of hate speech, and sent a request to the local prosecutor's office to check if the publication has any features indicating that it is instigating interethnic hostilities, and to take measures as prescribed by the law. Independent media trade union of Ukraine stated that it is revoking membership of the author of the article, journalist Maryana Polianska “for actions, discrediting the profession of a journalist, gross violations of the Charter of the Trade Union of Journalists of Ukraine, and Ethnic code of Ukrainian journalists”.