TV channel “Ukraina” qualified ruling of Kryvorizhsky court as attempt to make pressure

The TV channel “Ukraina” qualified as an attempt to make pressure onto the journalists the statement of the Zhovtnevyy district court of Kryvyy Rih saying the “Ukraina” channel had broken the principle of presumption of innocence, as to “Detektor Media”. The district court in Kryvyy Rih had earlier called the mass media “not to diffuse any information which could break the principle of presumption of innocence and could substitute the court judgment”. On March 20th, the “Ukraina” broadcasted a report (in the program “High profile case”) which revealed some details of a criminal proceeding under way in the court. The criminal proceeding concerned 5 persons suspected of fraudulent activity involving credits. “During the journalist investigation two aggrieved persons within this criminal proceeding described in details several facts and actions that had been committed against them. At the same time, the press service of the court drew attention to the fact that these aggrieved persons had not been auditioned yet in the court, and the facts and actions revealed in the video reportage were subject of consideration within the trial and, thus, they had been revealed before a large public without authorization of the court”, the court statement told. The press service of the court had called the journalists to restrict themselves from spreadin such information which “broke the principle of presumption of innocence and did substitute by itself the court judgment”. The journalists argued they had to gather and to diffuse any information covering the activity of the public authorities in order to form freely public opinions. “The current legislation in Ukraine does not stipulate any permit to be obtained (except agreement from the persons who are to be filmed in the reportage), the court including, for the journalists and the participants of the trial as to filming and public diffusing of information on the criminal proceedings considered by the court”, the “Ukraina” statement told. “The journalists of the program “High profile case” fully complied with norms of legislation in effect, including the article 17 of the Code of criminal procedure of Ukraine as to presumption of innocence, they did not diffuse any information which would prove that the suspects within this proceeding were guilty of committing of above-mentioned delict, they did not diffuse any information on those persons and shot only in public locations and with agreement of respective persons”.