The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has harshly criticised the introduction of sanctions by the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine (NSDC) against TV channels 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZIK
The OHCHR acknowledged that in certain circumstances restrictions on the media may be legitimate, but such decisions should be made by an “independent body, not the executive branch of power headed by the president”.
“The text of the decrees contains no justification for the imposition of sanctions, in particular they do not mention specific security concerns or explain how specific sanctions would solve these problems or why less severe sanctions would not be effective”, – the UN stressed.
It is also noted that such decisions by the NSDC can lead to self-censorship in the media and have already led to the stigmatization of journalists who previously worked or continue to work in media outlets subject to sanction restrictions, leading to divisions among workers in the field.
According to the OHCHR, during the reporting period, there were 29 cases of attacks on journalists in Ukraine who expressed critical opinions about the actions of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski and his team. Furthermore, Kiev failed to show an appropriate response to the violence, which creates a climate of total impunity.
We shall remind you that in February 2021 Zelenskyy blocked the broadcasting of three opposition TV channels 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZIK. The TV channels had their licences and other permits revoked and were stripped of their broadcasting rights. Also under sanctions was the owner of the media holding, an MP of the Opposition Platform – For Life party Taras Kozak.