Six anonymous articles attacking independent journalists have been published in leading Ukrainian newspapers known to be close to the government. On 11 June 1996, an article published in “Nezavissimost” with a false byline attacked Dimitri Djanguirov, a journalist with the weekly “Business”, stressing his Armenian origins in order to discredit his criticism of presidential policy. […]
Six anonymous articles attacking independent journalists have
been published in leading Ukrainian newspapers known to be close
to the government. On 11 June 1996, an article published in
“Nezavissimost” with a false byline attacked Dimitri Djanguirov,
a journalist with the weekly “Business”, stressing his Armenian
origins in order to discredit his criticism of presidential
policy. On the same day, a front-page article in “Pravda
Ukraina”, with the byline “A.A.”, attacked “Silski Visti” deputy
editor Ivan Boki. On 13 June, “Pravda Ukraina” published another
front-page article attempting to sully the reputation of the
deputy editor of the weekly “Zerkalo Nedeli”, Julia Mostavaia.
Pointing to her Jewish origins (“she buys her clothes in Tel
Aviv,” it said), the article also described the newspaper as a
“fifth column” sold in America. Since then, three other articles
in the same insulting and xenophobic vein have been published in
the Ukrainian press. What the targeted journalists have in common
is that all have been critical of presidential policy.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
against certain Ukrainian journalists seems to be increasing in
scale
Appeals To
His Excellency Leonid Kuchma
President
Office of the President
Kirov Street no. 6
Kiev, Ukraine
Fax: +70 44 293 1001/2093
Serguei Holovatiy
Minister of Justice
Fax :+70 44 229 6664
Zinovyi Koulik
President of the Ukrainian State Committee on Radio and
Television
Fax :+70 44 229 1170
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
