Police sees no grounds to open a case over Ukrinform topic guidelines

The Shevchenkivsky District Department of the Kyiv National Police found no grounds to open a case over the topic guidelines offered to Ukrinform correspondents, according to the National Police's response to Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech. He posted the reply on Telegram.

The National Police said that in June 2024, the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office received his address regarding the possible crime against Ukrinform journalists.

The police checked the information provided by Yurchyshyn and found no grounds for opening a case.

"As per Article 214 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, no grounds for entering data possibly testifying to a crime having been committed have been found based on the facts mentioned in your address," the answer reads.

Commenting on the letter from the police, Yurchyshyn noted: if the victims file a statement about the crime, the chances of a case being opened will be much higher.

"However, it will definitely be difficult to identify both the perpetrators and the masterminds with such motivation. After all, there are no grounds..." wrote the chair of the Committee on Freedom of Speech.

Previously

On May 29, "Ukrainian Pravda" released the article "No outisders around. How the President's Office is taking control over Ukrinform", reporting that during his time as the director of the news agency Ukrinform, journalist Oleksiy Matsuka, who is considered a protege of the President's Office, introduced censorship, "topic guidelines", and planned to overhaul the agency so as to appoint the "right" people to certain positions.

On May 30, Suspilne released a program featuring Yuriy Stryhun, the Ukrinform correspondent for Chernihiv and Cherkasy oblasts, who confirmed receiving "topic guidelines" with a list of preferred and unwanted guests for Chernihiv oblast from the editor in December 2023.

On May 31, Yuriy Stryhun received a conscription notice with a demand to come to the enlistment office by his registered address. The notice was not delivered to the journalist's registered address, but sent to the Kyiv office of Ukrinform (his workplace).

The prosecutor's office passed the deputies' address regarding the Ukrinform topic guidelines possibly constituting a crime to the Kyiv police.