On elections day, IMI registered 9 violations of freedom of press (list of cases)
On the day of the parliamentary elections on October 26, 2014, the Institue of Mass Information registered 9 instances of violations of freedom of press in regard to the electoral process.
The largest number of violations was registered in Kherson – thee cases of obstruction to journalists’ lawful professional activities. Also, two cases took place in Odesa, and one each in Dnipropetrovsk and in Kyiv. These cases included refusal to attend the session of the elections committee, refusal to enter a specialized polling station, refusal in registration, demands from a proxy to stop broadcasting of the balloting, and prohibition to film on a tablet. In Sumy, there was one registered case of online pressure – unidentified perpetrators hacked the server of Konotop TV and Radio company "Vezha" and broadcast an interview with a parliamentary candidate. Also, in Zakarpattia there was one case of threats to the ‘Tochka Opory’ journalist, who recorded violations of the elections legislation by the committee members.
Also, in several oblasts of Ukraine (Kirovohradska, Odeska, Cherkaska, Zaporizka, Kharkivska, Chernivetska) the total of 7 cases was registered when fake journalist IDs were issued in large quantities, and these fake journalists appeared on polling stations.
For the context, during the presidential elections on May 25, 2014, IMI recorded 7 cases of violation of freedom of press, and during the previous parliamentary electios – 18 cases.
List of cases of violations:
2. In Dnipropetrovska oblast, "Tochka Opory" journalists were not allowed for district electoral committee meeting
3. In Kherson, candidate’s proxy demanded that journalist stopped broadcasting of balloting
4. In Kherson, man wearing camouflage uniform did not allow journalist to photograph
5. In Kyiv, head of district election committee forbade to record using tablet, because "this is not registered equipment
6. In Kherson, head of election committee refused to register journalists
7. In Odesa, electoral committee divided observers and journalists with red tape
9. In Transcarpathia, committee members threatened journalist who registered their misconduct
Cases of exposure of fake journalists:
1. In Kharkiv, armed man came to polling station and called himself journalist
3. In Zaporizhzhya, fake journalist was exposed on polling station
4. In Cherkasy, at District 194 there was mass registration of “fake” journalists from “Azot”
5. In Kirovohradska oblast, at district No.100, 231 fake journalists "worked"
6. In Bukovyna, “journalists” from Chernihiv were not allowed to stay at polling station
7. In Odesa, many fake journalists were noticed during elections
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