The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) and its European group, the European Federation of
Journalists (EFJ) today warned against new attempts to reintroduce
criminalization of defamation in
Ukraine, following a first try last year.
"Journalists organisations like the
EFJ, but also international organisations like the Council of Europe and the
OSCE are trying to put an end to criminal procedures for defamation across
Europe," said EFJ President Arne König. "Our message is
clear: criminal libel laws are not only disproportionate, but they also have a
chilling effect on the willingness and ability of journalists to do their job
effectively."
On Monday 18 March, the First Deputy
Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin proposed again the introduction of criminal
liability for defamation in Ukraine. Reports indicate that he intends to make
changes to a relevant article in the Criminal Code during the current
parliamentary legislation.
The EFJ and IFJ
affiliate Independent Media Trade Union (IMTU) and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) point out that a similar
proposal was received very negatively last autumn and led to mass protests by
the journalistic community. They warn that the new attempt will lead to even
greater negative reactions from journalists.
"We support the protests of Ukrainian
journalists in this fight," said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. "Every
attempt to impose criminal liability for defamation is a direct threat for
professional journalists who try to expose bribery, corruption, and nepotism in
Ukraine."
IMTU believes that the issue of defamation can be solved under the current
legislation and that there is no need for changes to existing laws.
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 00
The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 134 countries
