Human Rights Watch: Poroshenko deals a terrible blow to freedom of speech
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko should immediately rescind his decree banning Russian media platforms, which he introduced yesterday. This is stated in the report of the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch, published on its official website.
According to the organization, the measures taken by the Ukrainian leadership violate the principles of freedom of speech and information.
“This is yet another example of the ease with which President P. Poroshenko improperly tries to control public discussion in Ukraine. Poroshenko may try to justify this latest move, but it is a cynical, politically motivated attack on the right to information that affects millions of Ukrainians and their personal and professional lives,” said Tanya Cooper of Human Rights Watch.
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She also emphasizes that Poroshenko’s decision runs counter to the president’s declared desire to introduce “European values” and freedom of speech in the country: “In one move, P. Poroshenko dealt a terrible blow to freedom of speech in Ukraine. This is an unforgivable violation of the right of Ukrainians to access information of their choice. Other international partners of the European Union should immediately influence Ukraine to repeal the decree.”
The illegality of adopting the restrictions was also stated in an interview with the organization by the executive director of the Kyiv Institute of Mass Information, Oksana Romanyuk, who assures that the government did not provide a valid justification arguing why such a broad ban on the activities of Internet companies was necessary. According to her, the presidential decree will be difficult to implement without changing the law. “Currently, only a court can oblige an Internet provider to take restrictive measures against a website,” Romanyuk notes.
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