An NGO worried about a security services survey against Ukrainian media
The Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ), an NGO for the defense of journalists located in the United States, alarm concerning a report indicating that the Ukrainian security services were investigating the independent Ukrainska Pravda, a site popular news, suspected of having disclosed “State secrets”.
The media announced at the end of January that it was the subject of an investigation due to the words reported as coming from the head of the Ukrainian security services, who said that Ukraine needed peace negotiations soon.
“The CPJ is concerned about the opening in Ukraine of a criminal investigation for” disclosure of state secrets “based on the reports of Ukrainska Pravda”said Gulnoza Said, coordinator of the Europe and Central Asia of the CPJ. “Ukrainian authorities must commit to respecting the confidentiality of sources and refrain from putting pressure on independent journalism”she added.
Ukrainska Pravda said that the Ukraine Security Service (SBU) informed him of the criminal investigation after he reported comments made by SBU chief, Kyrylo Budanov, in Parliament during a session in closed doors.
The editor -in -chief of Ukrainska Pravda denied any reprehensible act and declared that the site still operates in compliance with the law and adheres to journalistic standards.
The case is added to a longtime open quarrel between Ukrainska Pravda and the president's office, which has already targeted the information site for its critical articles on the government. Press freedom is a sensitive issue in Ukraine, where the authorities have made efforts since the reversal of the pro-Russian government in 2014.
Source: Lemonde