Index on Censorship » Ukraine

Ukraine: Tax police raid TV station before election

Marta Cooper — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:57:39 +0000

Ukraine’s tax police raided the office of television station TVi yesterday, accusing the often critical outlet of tax evasion. TVi interrupted its usual programming to show tax inspectors going through financial documents in its Kiev office. The State Tax Service said it had launched a criminal case against TVi’s chief executive, Mykola Knyazhitsky, after finding out that the station had evaded more than 3 million hryvnias (243,000 GBP) in VAT payments, it has been reported. Batkivshchyna, the main opposition party, accused the government of censorship. The raid took place three months before parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

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Ukraine: Case dropped against former president accused of reporter’s killing‎

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:48:43 +0000

A Ukranian court has dropped the case against a former president accused of ordering the killing of a journalist. Former president Leonid Kuchma was accused of being involved in the murder of Georgy Gongadze by a former interior ministry official who admitted to strangling the journalist earlier this year. Gongadze was found decapitated after being abducted in Kiev in 2000. Secret audio recordings apparently incriminating the former president were also heard in court, but Kuchma has continually denied any involvement in the murder. Gongadze was founder of the Ukrainska Pravda website, and was often critical of the Ukrainian leader.

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Ukraine: Young news photographer stabbed to death

Alice Purkiss — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:36:52 +0000

A young photographer was stabbed to death in Kiev on Monday night. Vitaly Rozvadovsky, a photographer for the Ukrainian weekly 2000, was stabbed at around 11pm and died in hospital around four hours later. The murder of the 30-year-old is being treated as “murder with premeditation” but it is not believed that the attack relates to Rozvadovsky’s work. Mikhail Denisenko, editor of 2000 said that the photographer had not recently covered any sensitive stories, and he was unaware of Rozvadovsky receiving any threats.

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Ukraine: Reporter critical after being shot in the head

Alice Purkiss — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:44:29 +0000

A Ukrainian investigative journalist is a critical condition after being shot in the head. Oleksander Vlaschenk0 who works for Nashe Misto, a local newspaper, was hit as he returned to his home in Mykolayiv on 16 October. Two mobile phones and camera were stolen in the attack. The journalist who cover highly sensitive subjects involving local government corruption and organised crime, remains in hospital with a bullet in his head, his attackers have not been identified.

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Ukraine: Tymoshenko jailed for seven years

Alice Purkiss — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:35:06 +0000

One of Ukraine‘s most popular and powerful politicians has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Yulia V Tymoshenko carried out negotiations with Russia regarding the price of natural gas during 2009, which cost the Ukrainian treasury £118 million, and damaged the country’s own gas industry. The judge, Rodion Kireye, said that Tymoshenko had “used her official powers to criminal ends”, and “committed actions which clearly exceeded her rights and powers”. Tymoshenko believes that the trial is politically-motivated revenge. The European Union immediately issued a message via Twitter saying it was “deeply disappointed with the verdict”.

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Ukraine: TV journalists protest channel closures

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:21:44 +0000

Ukranian journalists have gathered in Kharkiv to protest the closur e of local television channels. The protesters, who gathered at the Mayor’s office on Monday, taped their mouths closed and brought a symbolic coffin which they said was filled with reports that were not aired as a result of the closures. The protesters believe that Kharkiv Mayor Hennady Kernes is responsible for giving the order leading to the station closures. Kernes rejected the charges and said the management at the Kharkiv TV channels who have criticized him should apologize for making “cynical” accusations.

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Ukraine: Journalist’s apartment set on fire

Marta Cooper — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:08:31 +0000

The apartment of Ukrainian journalist Oleksiy Matsuka, who is editor-in-chief of the News of Donbass website and the head of a regional public organisation, the Donetsk Institute of Information, was set on fire on the afternoon of 31 July. Matsuka was not in the apartment when the incident took place. He sees a link between the arson and his journalistic activity, as well as his work in the public domain. “I wrote several articles about the lives of authorities, their incomes, sources of financing. And officials may not like this,” he said.

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Ukraine: Editor reinstated after protests by journalists

Intern — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:34:39 +0000

The editor of the Kyiv Post, Brian Bonner, was reinstated to his post on 19 April after journalists for Ukraine’s leading English newspaper went on strike protesting his dismissal. Bonner was sacked on 15 April after publishing an interview with the Agricultural Minister which touched on the sensitive topic of grain export quotas. The newspaper’s British owner, Mohammad Zahoor, had pressured him to discard the interview.

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Ukraine opens criminal investigation into Gongadze murder

Laura MacPhee — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:14:37 +0000

Former president Leonid Kuchma is being investigated over the murder of opposition journalist Georgiy Gongadze. A criminal probe has been opened against Kuchma, according to a report by Ukrainska Pravda, which Gongadze founded. Georgiy Gongadze was often critical of Kuchma and his administration. He was kidnapped and murdered in 2000. In 2010 the prosecutors claimed that ex-interior minister Yury Kravchenko ordered the killing. Kravchenko is believed to have committed suicide in 2005. This investigation comes despite a court decision preventing such a probe.

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Ukrainian journalist recovers some seized equipment

Intern — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:20:51 +0000

Journalist and blogger Olena Bilozerska has managed to recover some of the equipment and material which was illegally seized from her home in Kiev on 12 January. The police interrogation on 8 February included questions about her sources. The police returned some items but have kept 162 CDs and DVDs which contain material needed for her work. She regained her camera and video camera, neither of which was working. The authorities also returned her computer, which had been dismantled.

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