NUJU: only 7% of criminal cases against journalists reach the court
Prosecutor General's registered 645 criminal proceedings on obstruction of journalists during last 4 years. Only 1/12 of criminal proceedings for crimes against journalists, reach the courts.
The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine reported about it to Ukrinform, on Thursady, referring to the Prosecutor General's office.
"For period 2013 - January 2017, 645 criminal proceedings under Article 171 of the Criminal Code "Interference of journalistic activities" were registered. Where 326 (50.6%) were closed at the stage of the investigation. Only 46 cases (7.1% ) hit the courts. The rest - 42% of all cases are under investigation. Investigators don't close them and don't send to the courts,"- goes in a statement.
It has been oserved that, after the tragic events during Euromaidan, number of criminal cases of obstruction journalists' work is not reduced. During the "hot" 2013 and 2014 were 182 registered cases, in 2015 this figure dropped to 120 cases - 152 cases of obstruction. In 2016 again the number of cases increased to 176, and only for one month in January 2017 it has been already registered 15 cases of obstruction.
NUJU stresses that violations of the journalists rights and impunity for these crimes in Ukraine cause extreme concern of the International Federation of Journalists and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.
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