NGO "Natsionalni druzhyny" decided to guard TV channel ZIK

Non-governmental organization “Natsionalni druzhyny” ("National militias") informed that it undertakes obligation to guarantee the right of TV channel ZIK for honest work and complete safety. This was reported in the Facebook entry at the official organization's page. As the organization commented this, this was the request of the TV channel's office itself, as “police officers abandoned the responsibility”. “The editorial office of the TV channel asked us for help - starting from today, the National militias undertake the obligation to guarantee to the representatives of this media outlet a right for honest work and complete safety. We will not permit any provocations. We promise to inform you in real time about the course of events related to the channel”, the message of the organization reads. The organization claims that “TV channel ZIK became the hostage of underhanded intrigues of Bankova street [Presidential Administration - transl. note] and the opposition - provocations are being prepared, and the victims of those can be mere journalists, employees and guests of the channel, or even random passers-by”. “The authorities in power, headed by Petro Poroshenko, started construction of a repressive mechanism and building their own, anti-Ukrainian monopoly for freedom of speech. National Militias announce that they are ready to help any mass media who feel pressured by these authorities”, the organization commented. As the TV channel's press service reported to “Detector Media”, several men from “National Militias” already started guarding the TV channel as volunteers. As IMI reported before, on March 21, TV channel ZIK announced that in the nearest time a forceful take-over the channel is being prepared. According to the channel's sources, the take-over will be organized by the Presidential Administration, but the attack itself will be conducted by "radical organizations it controls. The channel added that “on the instruction of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, on March 1, 2018, the National Guards unilaterally, and without any explanations, broke the security contract with the channel”. The speaker of the Minister of Internal Affairs Artem Shevchaneko informed that the Minister ordered the National Guards to stop working as security of the objects except those that are defined in the law on the National Guards. Press service of the Presidential Administration denied the allegations of ZIK and called the channel's accusations "a delirium".