Civic movement Stop censorship!, Ukrainian Media Association, Ukrainian Independent Media Trade Union and the National Journalistic Union of Ukraine, supported by the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters without Borders came together with this petition to the GENERAL PROSECUTOR OF UKRAINE, MINISTER FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF UKRAINE AND THE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATION OF UKRAINE
WE DEMAND UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIRES:
To find and sentence those who had ordered assassination of Georgiy GONGADZE. To ensure fair and open trial and legitimate court decision for the killers and those who had authorized the murder.
To find and sentence those guilty of the murder of the journalist Vasyl KLYMENTYEV.
To find and sentence those guilty of the attack against the journalist Oleksandr TECHYNSKYY. The attack took place in October, 2008. As a result on the attack the journalist's arm was broken. He has sent a police request immediately. Even though those who had committed the offence could be easily identified on the photo, the incident has not been investigated so far.
To find and sentence those guilty of the attack against a journalist Maksym TREBUKHOV. As the result of the police actions the journalist had suffered during the rally near the Ukrainian Parliament. The police knocked him down and kicked, breaking the ribs despite the fact that Maksym had presented his press card and had said he was performing his professional duties.
To find and sentence those guilty of an attempt on the life of journalist Alexey MATSUKA. The case has not been investigated so far, as well as the witnesses have not been interviewed. The journalist has been getting threats till now.
To accomplish the investigation of the case of the attack against the journalist from Kolomya town Vasily DEMYANIV Furthermore, to guarantee the sentence of those guilty and in fact responsible for the attempt on the journalist's life. There are still a lot of questions to the way the investigation is being performed, as well as the motives of those, accused for the attack at this moment.
To investigate and sentence responsible for beating the journalists by GRIFFON, the police special forces, at the Pechersky court which took place in July, 2011. Till now there is no any reply to the appeal signed by more than 20 journalists and handed to the Interior Ministry and General Prosecutor's Office a few days after the incident.
In March, 2006 in Simferopol city there was an attempt to burn the house of Liliya BUDZHUROVA, the famous journalist, the manager of the project "First Crimean." The case has not been investigated till now.
We demand to investigate the cases and punish the perpetrators of these crimes, related to the professional activities of journalists:
1. 09.08.2010 - Damage to the equipment and threats of the massacre to the photographer of the paper "Donets'ki Novyny" (Donets'k news) Danylo PAVLOV in Donets'k. 14.08.2010 section of criminal investigation of Kalininskyy Department of Donetsk Municipal Department of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ukraine issued a decree refusing to institute criminal proceedings on the basis of the paragraph 2 of article 6 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
2. 08.10.2010 - Obstructing the journalist of Hryvnya during the filming. Opening of the criminal case was refused on the basis of Paragraph 2 of Article 6 of the CPC of Ukraine.
3. 31.10.2010 - Act of assault on TV and radio correspondents of Chornomors'ka TV and Radio Company in Feodosia, committed by the Party of Regions representatives. The criminal case was initiated on 01.11.2010 under 2nd Clause of article 186 of the Criminal Code. The crime was not solved; it is in the proceedings of the investigation section of Feodosia Municipal Department of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
4. 03.11.2010 - Police has used physical force against the special correspondent of Channel 5 Oksana TROKOZ in Zhytomyr. The opening of the criminal case against the policemen according to articles 185, 186, 187, 364, 365 of the Penal Code of Ukraine was denied, due to the lack of evidence.
5. 11.11.2010 - In Kramatorsk there was a fight between a group of people which was filmed on a photocamera in video by a journalist of JSC "Novi proekty" O. LADYK. For his activities he had been hit in a left ear by a person participating in the fight. LADYK fell on the ground and dropped his photocamera, so it crashed. The crime is not solved yet, it is still being investigated by Kramatorsk police.
6. 01.12.2010 - Beating up of "Zorya Tarkhankutu" newspaper correspondent Sergiy ANTYPENKO in Chornomorske village. The case is not solved yet, it is being investigated by Chornomorske police.
7. 17.12.2010 - The violation of the professional rights of Donetsk mass media during the press conference of The Prosecutor office of Donetsk explained to the plaintiffs the court procedure of appeal for denial of information.
8. 21.03.2011 - The expulsion of the journalists of TV channel 9 by the Security forces from the building of the Regional Tax Inspection in Dnipropertovsk. The prosecutors refused to open a criminal case under the article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
9. 03.02.2011 - Beating of Sergiy RYYBACHENKO - editor-in-chief of the newspaper "The Independent Courier". On 10.05.2011 the criminal case was forwarded to the court. The judicial inquiry is still in process.
10. 12.04.2011 -The obstruction by a representative of the State Security Service during the filming the cortege of the state authorities in Kyiv. The answer of the prosecution office was: "There are no reasons for taking a decision according to article 97 of the Criminal Procedure Code"
11. 01. 06. 2011 - Setting difficulties by the Tax Police employees to the reporters of "News" (Olexander VLASCHENKO and Nataliya BARBAROSH) and also to the reporter of "Prestupnosty.net" (Artem DYBLENKO) while they were fulfilling their professional duties. The investigation is still in process.
12. August 2011 - Setting difficulties to Serhiy ANDRUSHKO TV-crew in Romodan village of Myrhorod District in Poltava region. Incident occurred on the central square of the village during the mass festivities on August 2011. No investigation until now.
13. 04.11.2011 - The guards of the manager of actors Valentin Gaft and Olga Ostroumova during the concert in Kyiv have verbally abused and afterwards have beaten the TV-crew of the Information Service of "1+1" TV Channel (correspondent Dmytro SVYATNENKO and cameraman Pavlo MYASNOV). The investigation is in process.
14. 8.11.2011 - Administrative staff of "The 7th kilometer" market near Odesa impeded work of Igor STOLYAROV, the journalist of an internet media "View from Odesa" and the newspaper "Ukrainian South", trying to use force against him.
15. June 2010 - Bodyguards of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych used force against STB TV channel journalist Sergiy ANDRUSHKO while he was covering the President's speech at "Agro-2010" exhibition in June 2010. The guilty have been never convinced.
16. 1.09.2009 - Oleksandr TKACHENKO, the national deputy of Ukrainian parliament, representative of the Communist party of Ukraine, attacked STB TV channel journalist Olga CHERVAKOVA and hit the microphone while she was trying to get his comment. The Office of Prosecutor of Kyiv Pecherskiy district refused to initiate criminal proceedings.
We also request to inform our organizations concerning the investigation of the following attacks and violations related to the journalist's professional activities:
3.03.2004. In Melitopol, Zaporiz'ka oblast' Vlasti.net online magazine and Kurier newspaper staff member Hennadii YEMELYANOV was attacked. Editorial staff links the attack to the professional activity of Hennadii Yemelianov. Journalist was badly beaten up by unidentified assailants, and nothing was stolen from him except for some stories for the next issue of Kurier newspaper. Melitopol department of Ministry of Internal Affairs commenced a criminal investigation into hooligan violence.
18.11.2004. In Kyiv at 50-richchya Zhovtnia Street Era Television and Radio Broadcasting Company journalist Serhii SYDORUK was attacked. His ribs were broken, and one of them pierced the lung. Criminal investigation under Article 296 "Hooliganism" of the Criminal Code of Ukraine was opened.
21.11.2004 - At the polling station number 12, election district number 71, located in Mukachevo, 15-20 young men had beaten journalists from local newspapers "Stary Zamok " (Old Castle) and "Tribuna" (The Tribune), Tatiana RATUSHNYAK press card was torn apart. " Stary Zamok" journalist Andriy ZELENKO's camera was taken away. All the facts of violations were filed with the district and city courts and the prosecutor's office.
25.11.2004 - in Kirovograd unidentified people have beaten Gennady RYBCHENKOV, the journalist of "Ukraine-Center" newspaper and editor of "Reporter" newspaper. Media outlet believe that the attack is related to his professional activities. Journalist's cell phone was taken away so he "will not be able to call anyone." The journalist got home on his own, but later he was admitted to the hospital.
Report to police was filed on November 27.
29.11.2004 - A group of people armed with hammers and knives brutally beaten Anna NYZKODUBOVA, "Ukrainian News Agency " reporter and Yevgeny SAVCHENKO, the reporter from the local newspaper "Lugansk". Nyzkodubova's equipment was taken away, Savchenko's nose was broken. Nyzkodubova reported that she and her colleagues reported the attack to police, which opened the criminal case according to the Article 226 of the Criminal Code (on hooliganism ).
10.12.2004 - Photo correspondent of the newspaper ‘Salon Dona I Basa" Sergiy VAGANOV was beaten, when he was taking the pictures of some group of unidentified persons, who were trying to dismantle the tents erected in the centre of Donetsk city by ‘PORA' activists. Voroshylov district department of interior in Donetsk city initiated a criminal investigation regarding the fact of the infliction of bodily harm and damage in accordance to 296 article of Criminal Code of Ukraine ‘Hooliganism'.
3.06.2006 - Member of the Parliament Dmytro Shentsev invited to attend session of Kharkiv Region Council attacked and beaten journalist and photo correspondent of ‘Associated Press', ‘ITAR-TARS', ‘Photolenta' Andriy AVDOSHYN. The journalist submitted the statement to Kyiv district department of the police in Kharkiv in the evening on the 7th of June. Centre of public relations of the Ministry for Internal Affairs in Kharkiv Region reported that journalist's statement and video materials, which taped the incident were transferred to local prosecutor's office at this moment.
28.08.2006 - The priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) prevented the 5th Channel TV crew from working at the territory of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. According to the journalist Natalia TUHUZOVA, they were attacked by archbishop Pavlo - Abbot of the Holy Assumption Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, priests, a church security officer and civilians. She claims that they pushed the cameraman down to the floor, grabbed his camera with the tape inside. None of the guilty was punished.
14.08.2007 - The Ukrainian newspaper "Kommersant" journalist Artem SKOROPADSKYY was attacked in the porch of his building. He links the attack with his professional activity. The victim, being a Russian citizen, applied to the police.
08.07.2008 - A cameraman of the news program "Region" of TV-company "MTV-plus" Myhaylo GAREEV was beaten up while he was video-shooting. The attacker hit the cameraman three times and was trying to grab the camera. When he did not succeed in that, he broke the microphone on the camera and went back to the store. The case is prosecuted by the fact of assault and causing bodily harm.
16.09.2008 - Journalists of the newspaper "Ostriv" Maksym ABRAMOVSKYY and Olena MYKHAYLOVA were beaten up in Donetsk. Journalists videotaped police officers who were stopping the cars on the bridge, which directly violates the law. Police officers have taken away from Maksym Abramovskyy journalistic identification card and then several times hit his head, as well hit the video camera. Finally they have taken the video camera away. Later on they gave it back, but it was broken and did not have any tape anymore. Journalists claimed about that and gave their explanation in Kyiv Police Department of Donetsk. The results of the investigation made by the police were transferred to the prosecutor.
02.02.2009 - The attack was carried on TV crew (Yuriy BASYUK and Yuriy VESYLYK) of broadcasting company GRAD in Dumska Square, Odessa, while it was shooting the crowd heading to ‘congratulate' mayor Leonid Gurvitz . TV crew was attacked by the mayor assistant Ihor Hotyn in the presence of a police officer. ‘They took our camera and tried to take away our mobile telephones. Later, the camera was returned to us in damaged condition and all the footage had gone', journalists said. Broadcasting company GRAD filed an action to police, Prosecutor Office and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
25.05.2009 - In Vinnytsya the Deputy Head of Municipal Administration for Energy, Transport and Communications Vyacheslav Shapoval attacked the correspondent of broadcasting company ‘Vinnychyna' Oleksandr ILNYTSKYY He was diagnosed with head injuries. The victim claims that the attack was an impediment to his professional duties.
14.10. 2009 - A photographer of "The Conflict and the Law" weekly magazine Ruslan LYUBCHENKO was attacked and severely beaten in the center of Kyiv near Lenin's monument by protesters from the tents camp organized by the Communist Party of Ukraine. Protesters from the tents camp came to the photographer who was taking pictures and started to take his photocamera away and beat his head with the camera. After that an unknown person shoot in Lyubchenko by the gas gun and the journalist was handcuffed until police arrived. As the result police arrested the photographer, but not the attackers. Police take away the photo equipment and didn't return his memory card with photos from the scene. The editorial editors of "The Conflict and the Law" appealed on police to the General Prosecutor and the MIA
13.04. 2010 - A journalist and author of popular program Provincial Chronicles from TV 9 Borys BRAHINSKY was beaten severely in Dnipropetrovsk by an unknown person. Police opened a criminal case under paragraph 1 of article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Hooliganism".
20.04.2010 - Prosecutors from Shevchenko's district of Kyiv launched a criminal investigation into the deliberate obstruction of journalist Sergiy KURTAKOV from Novy TV Channel (Part 1, Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
08.04.2010 - At The Ukrainskyi Dim (Ukrainian House) a TV-Channel correspondent carried a task of the editorial office and shot a reportage about photo exhibition opening. A group of people shouting nationalistic mottos draw his attention. Security officers began to take them away from the hall to the service exit. Serhij KURTAKOV began to film this situation on camera. Noticing that, security officers, prevented him to carry on his legitimate professional duty, used force and pushed TV-correspondent out from the service exit corridor, inflicting him a bodily harm.
A LIST OF THE JOURNALISTS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES UNDER MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES IN UKRAINE
1. Myron LYAHOVYCH, an editor of the "Zhyttya i Pratsya" (Life and Work) newspaper (Lviv), 1992, died under mysterious circumstances.
2. Vadym BOYKO, GART TV company correspondent (Kyiv). In 1992 he died as a result of an explosion in his own apartment. Exact circumstances of his death are still undisclosed, it's still unclear why the journalist was unable to leave his apartment and why it caught fire. There were rumors that an explosion device had been put under his TV set and that had been deafened. It is known that not long before his death Boyko had been wearing a bullet proof vest.
3. Mykola BAKLANOV, "Izvestia" newspaper own correspondent (Kyiv). In 1993 he died because of a craniocerebral injury, received during an assault.
4. Yuriy OSMANOV, Crimean newspaper "Areket" editor (Simferopol). In 1993 he was found dead on a Simferopol street with a craniocerebral injury.
5. Andriy LAZEBNIKOV, Black Sea Fleet press center head (Sevastopol). In 1993 he was shot dead near his own house.
6. Serhiy SHEPELEV, newspaper "Vechirnia Vinnytsia" (Vinnytsia). In 1993 he burnt to death in his own apartment. According to independent experts, he was tied to his bed.
7. Viktor FRELIH, "Molodyi Bukovynets" newspaper freelance correspondent. He had been investigating missile fuel leak that caused numerous diseases amongst people in 1995 as well as mysterious alopecia epidemic that affected mainly children in Chernivtsi region. He died of intoxication with an unknown substance. Not long before his death he had received physical reprisal threats.
8. Yuriy DZEDZHULA, "Kievskiy visnyk" journalist (Kyiv). Died in 1995.
9. Anatoliy TARAN, "Obolon" newspaper editor (Kyiv), 1995, found dead on a wasteland in Kyiv;
10. Volodymyr IVANOV, "Slava Sevastopolya" newspaper editor (Sevastopol), 1995, died in an explosion from an explosive set in a waste bin near his house;
11. Georgi OVCHARENKO, journalist of UT-3 Channel, presenter of "The Black Square" Program, 1996, found dead in his neighbour's apartment;
12. Igor GRUSHETSKIY, "Ukraina-Centre" newspaper correspondent (Charkasy), 1996, found dead in a street in Cherkasy with a cranial wound;
13. Іgor KUZYK, executive secretary of the newspaper "Army of Ukraine" (Lviv), 1996, disappeared and in a few months found dead in a park in the center of Lviv;
14. Anatoliy TANADAYCHUK, "Panorama" newspaper correspondent (Vinnytsya), 1996, on the corpse of the journalist traces of injections found.
15. Оleksandr MOTRENKO, an anchor of the "Saturday express" program of the "Trans-M-Radio" station (Simferopil), In 1996, on his way to work was attacked by three men, one of the attackers being in police uniform. He got a lethal hit in the head. The police stated that Motrenko was drunk and it was he who attacked the policeman;
16. Vitaliy KOTSIUK, the "Day" newspaper correspondent (Kyiv), In 1997, while getting home by train, got lethal burns of undefined origin, before his death he said that several strangers pulled him out of the train, poured petrol on him and lit;
17. Petro SHEVCHENKO, regional correspondent of the "Kyiv gazette" newspaper in Lugansk. In 1997, one month prior to his death, he published a series of reports on local authorities' conflict with the Security Service of Ukraine. He left the office for a meeting, never returned. He was found hanged near Zhuliany airfield in Kyiv;
18. Volodymyr BEKHTER, senior editor of the State TV-Radiocompany (Odessa), In 1997, got a lethal hit in the head while being beaten by the police;
19. Borys DEREVYANKO, Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper "Vechurnya Odesa"("Evening Odessa) in Odesa. 1997, was shot dead nearby his editorial house; the investigator had arrested the hitman while those who had given the order were not identified.
20. Sviatoslav SOSNOVSKIY, editor to "Tavriya" publishing house, 1997, died from being stubbed by assailants not far from his own home.
21. Olexiy YEFIMENKO, editor of the "Vidrodjennia" newspaper (town of Saki), 1998, died when had fallen out of the windon on the 5th floor.
22. Mykola RAKSHANOV, journalist of the Cherkassy newspaper "Fakty", 1998, died of a craniocerebral injury. According to authorities the injury was not caused in attack, but according to medics' testimonies - injures were coercive actions.
23. Albert BORYSOV, editor in chief of "Shakhtarskiye vesti" newspaper (town of Krasnodon). Murdered in 1998;
24. Maryana CHORNA, TV-journalist of TV "STB" (Kyiv), 1999, found hanged in her own apartment. Official case - suicide.
25. Igor BONDAR, director of the private owned TV "AMT" (Odesa), 1999, shot with automatic gun by unidentified assailants.
26. Georgiy GONGADZE, head of internet project "Ukrainska pravda", 2000, was abducted on his way home. Executors are prosecuted. Those who ordered are not identified.
27. Mykhaylo KAPULYAK, Deputy Editor of the local newspaper "Svit molodi" (Ivano-Frankivsk), 2000;
28. Volodymyr PALCHYKOV, journalist at the Dnipropetrovsk radio center, 2000;
29. Vladyslav RYABCHYKOV, journalist of the local newspaper "Krymska Pravda" (Simferopol), 2000, was hit by a car and died of the injuries; the journalist's colleagues are sure that his death was connected with his professional activity, namely, with the publication of the information about the top management of Medzhlis of Crimean Tatars.
30. Volodymy SMYRNOV, correspondent of the newspaper "Vremia" (Mykolayiv), 2000, died of injuries in result of a street attack;
31. Oleh BREUS, publisher of the newspaper "XXI century" (Luhansk), 2001, killed by a hired assassin;
32. Ihor ALEKSANDROV, TV Channel "ТОR" (Slovyansk in Donetsk region), 2001, died of many injuries hit by baseball bats;
33. Oleksandr KOVALENKO, Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper "Socialna polityka" (Kyiv), 2001, was found dead with a gun wound in a forest near Zhytomyr;
34. Yuriy HONCHAR, freelance correspondent of the newspaper "Fakty i kommentarii (Kyiv), 2001, was found dead in his apartment with an evidence of a violent death;
35. Oleg CHERNYAK, regional cameraman (Odeasa), was found dead in his apartement with traces of injection;
36. Andriy FESHCHENKO, Vice-President of the National TV company of Ukraine, 2002, found dead with gunshot wounds in his own car;
37. Volodymyr PROVOROTSKIY, Sumy state TV company journalist, 2002, was found with signs of violent death in his own flat;
38. Oleksiy TERESHCHUK, the deputy editor-in-chief of "Vinnychyna" newspapere, 2002, died of injuries a year after being beaten by unknowns;
39. Mykhailo KOLOMIYETS, the editor in chief and the founds of the information agency "Ukrainski Novyny" (Ukrainian News) disappeared and was later found in a forest in Belarus. The Prosecutor General office of Ukraine has opened a criminal case on the incitement to commit suicide. The case is not completed.
40. Oleksandr PANYCH, journalist of weekly paper "Donetsk news" (Donetsk), 2020, was kidnapped and later found dead in the Kalmius river
41. Yuriy SHEVTSOV, photographer, Krymean Pravda newspaper (Simferopol), 2002. Found shot in shelterbelts after disappearing.
42. Olexandr SUMKO, editor-in-chief, "Kordon" magazine of the State Border Agency, 2004. Fell from the balcony of his flat.
43. Vadym HUDYK, freelance journalist and businessman, 2006. Shoot dead on the central square of Bila Tserkva city.
44. Norik SHYRIN, editor-in-chief, Holos Molodi newspaper (Crimea), 2006. Found dead with multiple knife wounds at his house's courtyard.
45. Vasyl KLYMENTIEV, editor-in-chief, Novyj Styl newspaper (Kharkiv), 2010. Disappeared, no further evidence or body found.
