Yurchyshyn initiates a meeting with the MCSC over travel permit suspension for media workers

Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, is initiating a meeting with the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications on the issue of border crossing by mass media representatives, Yurchyshyn announced on Facebook.

“As the Chair of the Freedom of Speech Committee, I am initiating a meeting with the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine on the issues of border crossing by mass media representatives,” Yaroslav Yurchyshyn wrote.

In a comment to Institute of Mass Information the representative Valentyna Troyan, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn noted that he was unaware of any cases of media workers trying to cross the border on legal grounds and being denied unfoundedly.

“I call on all those involved to facilitate the work of the media within their mandate and not to create obstacles to it,” Yaroslav Yurchyshyn added.

Previously

The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications (MCSC) will stop issuing letters to the State Border Service (SBS) assisting artists and media workers eligible for the draft to travel abroad. The decision will be in effect starting March 3 and until the regulatory and legal aspects of the issue are addressed.

On December 22, 2023, Channel 24 journalist and presenter Oleksiy Pechiy announced that he had decided not to go back to Ukraine after a business trip to a EU summit in Brussels. He explained his decision to stay in Europe, alleging that Ukraine could use more “horizontal communication with Western society” and decided to establish this horizontal communication after the EU summit.

Channel 24 stated that Oleksiy “decided to flee the country”. Pechiy’s decision was condemned by his colleagues.

The then Ministry of Culture and Information Policy condemned Oleksiy Pechyi’s actions, saying that he had violated the law.

Following the incident with stand-up comedian Andriy Shchehel, who traveled to Turkiye as part of a group with a temporary permit and remained there, having received three conscription notices, the MCIP submitted a stricter procedure for obtaining permits for temporary travel abroad for men of draft age for government approval.

The TVORCHI band expressed concern on Instagram that the travel rules amendments for artists will make them unable to perform in Nairobi at the invitation of USAID or on a Eurovision promotional tour.