In a letter to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the deputies recalled that the decision to ban the broadcasting of three TV channels in Ukraine was condemned by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, as well as the International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ).
As MP Kateryna Konecna told Capital, after providing a copy of the document, members of the European Parliament Katejina Konecna, Mick Wallace and Claire Daly wrote a letter to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, in which they drew the European official’s attention to the situation in Ukraine in connection with the decision of President Volodymyr Zelensky to extrajudicially close three opposition TV channels.
The letter notes that the actions of President Zelensky’s administration contradict even Ukrainian legislation, since the law does not give the president the right to impose sanctions against domestic companies or the media.
“The presidential administration has no authority to regulate the work of the media (this is the responsibility of the State Committee of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting). Thus, the revocation of broadcasting licenses by presidential decree (against which there is no possibility to appeal it in court) is not only an act of politically motivated state censorship, but also a clear violation of the rule of law in Ukraine”, – the MPs wrote.
In this regard, parliamentarians want to get an answer from Josep Borrell about how President Zelensky’s decision complies with international legal standards in the field of freedom of speech and press, as well as inform what measures the European Commission is taking and how this issue is being discussed with the leadership of Ukraine.
In addition, during the broadcast of the International Panorama program on the ZIK TV channel, Bundestag deputy Waldemar Gerdt said that it was very sad that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky took such a step as the closure of opposition TV channels – “ZIK”, “112 Ukraine” and “NewsOne”.
“I was very surprised by this silence that the basic principles of democracy are now being violated. We had to be the first not only to remain silent, as the ambassadors did, but to say our point of view. Therefore, I got actively involved, we issued a press release, I made an official request as a member of parliament, what is their silence based on and when it will end”, – the European politician noted.
“It is very sad that Zelensky took such a step. But I understand that this was a step, apparently, an involuntary step, this is all within the framework of the unwinding of the spiral of military actions or tension on the European continent, from which we will not be good for anyone”.