(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 19 December 2000 RSF press release: Reporters sans frontières denounces serious press freedom situation Despite the Council of Europe’s threats to suspend Ukraine’s membership in 1999, the press freedom situation in the country seriously deteriorated during 2000. Ukraine has joined the list of countries where press freedom is in […]
(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 19 December 2000 RSF press release:
Reporters sans frontières denounces serious press freedom situation
Despite the Council of Europe’s threats to suspend Ukraine’s membership in 1999, the press freedom situation in the country seriously deteriorated during 2000. Ukraine has joined the list of countries where press freedom is in serious trouble.
Attacks and threats against journalists have been increasing. At least twenty have been recorded by Reporters sans frontières (RSF) since 1 January 2000. Meanwhile, harassment by the tax authorities and heavy fines for libel are stifling the independent press financially.
The circumstances in which journalist Georgiy Gongadze went missing are indicative of the intimidating and threatening atmosphere surrounding the freedom to inform in Ukraine. Gongadze, founder and editor-in-chief of the online newspaper www.pravda.com.ua, which is highly critical of the government, had been threatened by the police in the weeks leading up to his disappearance on 16 September 2000. A headless body found in November could be the journalist’s, according to various sources. Meanwhile, revelations made by a Ukrainian secret service officer in November about the possible involvement of high-ranking officials in Gongadze’s disappearance make it a matter of urgency to get to the bottom of this very serious case.
RSF calls on the Ukrainian authorities to do everything in their power – with international assistance if necessary – to identify the body beyond any doubt, and to have the recordings submitted to parliament examined by experts. We also call on international and European institutions to remind the Ukrainian government that the current situation is incompatible with Ukraine’s international commitments, and particularly its status as a member of the Council of Europe.
“We encourage and support the struggle of Ukrainian journalists in their search to discover the truth,” said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. “The Ukrainian authorities’ commitments to press freedom cannot be regarded as credible as long as the case of Georgiy Gongadze’s disappearance has not been cleared up,” added Ménard.
