After the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law on disinformation, which being developed at the initiative of President Vladimir Zelensky, pressure on freedom of speech and the media may increase in Ukraine.
The head of the UN Human Rights Mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, expressed concern about this fact during the last briefing this year, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I would like to emphasize the importance of ensuring, creating and protecting an environment in which different and opposing views can be expressed and freely discussed. We are particularly concerned about how the law “On Combating Disinformation,” required by Presidential Decree No. 8/2019 of November 837, 2019, will be developed, since such a law could contradict Ukraine’s obligations regarding freedom of thought and expression of views and information.
We caution the government against imposing disproportionate restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom,” the UN spokeswoman said.