Mediarukh, media and human rights non-governmental organizations of Ukraine, as well as the head of the Verkhovna Rada committee on freedom of speech Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, call on the MPs not to vote for draft law No. 10242, which in their current version, in their opinion, threatens freedom of speech, journalists and whistleblowers of corruption.
This is stated in a joint statement, as well as Yurchyshynʼs publication.
The document strengthens and introduces criminal liability (8 years of imprisonment) for freely disclosing confidential information from public registers during martial law. There are no protection mechanisms for those who disclose confidential information of public importance.
Media experts, human rights defenders and the head of the Committee believe that the draft law can be used as a tool to persecute journalists. In particular, he proposes to introduce the possibility of eavesdropping and surveillance of journalists.
"Examples of investigations, the authors of which can be prosecuted under the provisions of this draft law, are materials about schemes for men to go abroad during martial law or about the enrichment of representatives of the prosecutorʼs office," the statement added.
The draft law is presented as a fulfillment of EU requirements, however, according to the applicants, it contradicts the principles of freedom of speech, protection of journalistic sources and whistleblowers, enshrined in international documents, in particular, in the European Act on Freedom of the Media.
"According to him, if a journalist-whistleblower or his source in the law enforcement agencies penetrates the database of the owner of a new expensive car, then the journalist or the source, and not the corrupt person, will receive eight years. A journalist will receive eight years if he shows that the official crossed the border in an inexplicable way. There are fantastically cool investigative journalists in Ukraine, whose work will simply be killed by this draconian draft law. And they will give a great gift to lovers of corruption," Yaroslav Yurchyshyn is convinced.
Members of the Media Movement, media and human rights non-governmental organizations ask international organizations and human rights defenders to participate in the evaluation of this draft law and to comment on its impact on freedom of speech in Ukraine.
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