Stop Censorship! journalist movement of Ukraine believes that the attack on our colleagues Olha Snitsarchuk and Vladystlav Sodel, which occurred when they were performing their professional duties at a united opposition rally on May 18, was another manifestation of an attack on democracy in Ukraine.

 The journalists were beatenin presence of several police officers, whose actions can be qualified as negligence.

 The case received a wide publicity, as it highlighted a number of problems in the law enforcement sphere of the country.

 "Stop Censorship!" journalist movement demands:

To Immediately create an ad hoc commission in Parliament to investigate the case. Journalists will give MPs all photos and videos, as well as the information about the aggressors.

 From the Ministry of Interior and personally Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko:

1. To effectively investigate the assault and obstruction of professional work of our colleagues, with involving photo and video materials from the media and materials of journalist investigations.

2. To carry out and publicize the results of an internal investigation, and to bring a criminal case against employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who were present during the beating, and paid no attention to criminal acts of the attackers.

3. To publicly disclose information about the grounds, including copies of relevant documents, on which traffic police escorted the APC car that participated in the battles in Mala Zhytpomyrska street.

4. To publish a weekly report about the progress of these investigations and inspections.

 From the Presidential Administration to immediately convene the Interagency Working Group and to invite there Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko and Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka to discuss the situation.

We appeal to international organizations, including the European Union, Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the embassies of foreign countries represented in Ukraine for support, and ask them to send claims and complaints regarding impunity for crimes against journalists in Ukraine the Ukrainian government and the governments of their countries.