Zheleznyak: Verkhovna Rada will not consider controversial bill No. 10242 today

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The Verkhovna Rada will not consider today, December 18, draft law No. 10242, which was opposed by Mediarukh, as well as media and human rights NGOs of Ukraine, deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported on Telegram.

On December 17, the Media Movement, as well as Ukraine's media and human rights NGOs called on the Verkhovna Rada deputies to not support the draft bill No. 10242 in its current version. This draft bill continuted to pose significant threats to freedom of speech, the work of journalists, and the protection of journalists' sources and whistleblowers in Ukraine.

Its updated version, proposed for voting on December 18, did not eliminate the risks that the civil society stressed in a previous statement released on December 2, 2024.

“Well, as you can see, in view of:

• the media community's unanimous stance on the inadmissibility of draft bill No. 10242 (the one targeting journalists);
• the NABU / SAPO's stance on Lozovyi’s 'amendments';
• the 1,600 amendments from us,

the draft bill No. 10242 will NOT be considered in the Rada today,” Zheleznyak wrote.

He added that “this does not mean that the battle is already won (it is still ongoing), but the blackmail by those who decided to combine this 💩 with the IMF’s demands and drag it out on the last day… to put it mildly, did not work).”

Previously

On December 2, 2024, the Media Movement, as well as Ukraine's media and human rights NGOs called on the Verkhovna Rada deputies to not support the draft bill No. 10242 in its current version.

The draft bill expands and introduces criminal liability (8 years in prison) for publicly disclosing confidential data from public registers during martial law. At the same time, the draft bill provides no protection mechanisms for those who report on confidential data of public interest.

The authors of the address believe that the draft bill creates a tool that may be exploited to persecute journalists. Namely, it enables wiretapping and surveillance of journalists by the government.

The Verkhovna Rada failed to adopt the draft bill No. 10242 on December 4.

On December 17, the Media Movement, as well as Ukraine's media and human rights NGOs, repeated their call to deputies not to adopt bill No. 10242.