Police opens case over Mykolaiv City Council denying access to journalists after IMI report

A news story by the Institute of Mass Information prompted the Mykolaiv police to open a case over "NikVesti" journalists being denied access to the City Council building, the Mykolaiv Oblast Police reported to an IMI representative.

The Mykolaiv City Council adopted new rules on journalists' access to the building. Now journalists can only enter the building upon invitation from officials. The media outlet's reporters learned about the new access regulations after failing to enter the City Council to get comments from officials after an apparatus meeting.

The case was opened on July 26 under Part 1 of Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Obstruction of the lawful professional work of journalists." The investigation is being conducted by the department No. 1 of the Mykolaiv district police, Mykolaiv oblast.

They discovered that the regulations for accessing the Mykolaiv City Council building are based on an instruction approved on February 3, 2022.

According to it, media representatives can enter the building if they are included in the open event lists prepared by the organizational unit of the Department for Ensuring the Functioning of Executive Bodies of the Mykolaiv City Council.

Journalists will be admitted by one-time electronic passes upon showing documents confirming their identity and professional affiliation.

To get comments, interviews or discuss other issues, journalists are allowed to enter the building escorted by an official from the information support unit of the mayor's department, and they have to add their name in the visitor logbook.

In 2021 the Pervomaysk City Council (Mykolaiv oblast) adopted a media accreditation procedure which involved introducing a special card-based system of accreditation. The cards would be issued upon consent from the mayor and the deputy commission on legality and regulations.