Вівторок, 19 вересня 2000, 16:29
AN OPEN LETTER
TO THE PRESIDENT OF UKRIANE AND THE PARLIAMENT OF URKAINE
IN REGARDS TO THE DISAPPEARNCE OF JOURNALITS GEORGIY GONGADZE AND THE SITUATION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN UKRAINE
Dear Mr. President!
Dear People's Deputies!
On September 16, 2000, Georgiy Gongadze, well known opposition journalist and director of the Ukrainian Internet-Newspaper project "Ukrainska Pravda" disappeared for unknown reasons.
Besides this, law enforcement organs are doing a great deal to figure out the reason for his the disappearance and the search for this journalist; the fate of Georgiy is still unknown.
The situation of Georgiy's disappearance invokes within us journalists, a serious anxiety and disturbance. We are disturbed with the fact that during the period of Ukraine's independence not a single criminal act against journalists has been investigated to completion. We would only like to name a few: the cases of Vadym Boyko, Petro Shevchenko, and Boris Derevianko.
Every time we inquire as to the investigations of these crimes we get the following responses: "The investigation is still underway ", "The situation is under control ", "Such-and-such a criminal will be revealed"...
The lack of results of these investigation of crimes against journalists gives us reason to present and the to state, that no one, besides journalists, are interested in the fate of our colleagues. The greatest danger in this situation is that the main reason in all instances was that the professional activity of all these journalists was in the political sphere.
Each of us feels, that it is more and more difficult to realize our professional obligations - to objectively inform society about events, which are taking place in Ukraine. In relation to this, experts of international organizations have more than once commented on the breech of freedom of speech in Ukraine. Practically each of us, political journalists, have had to deal with pressures.
Georgiy Gongadze had to more than once deal with restricted access to information; he experienced direct pressure and even threats on his person. Evidence of this were the numerous times that he had to turn to law enforcement organs, who, to this time not given any concrete answers.
We stress, that the pressures on Georgiy increased after harsh commentary was both published and spoken, in which he criticized certain activities of individuals of authority and the so called oligarchs.
And for this reason, most journalist, politicians and community activists consider that the greatest reason for the disappearance of this journalist to be a political one.
It is terrible, that during the tenth year of development of a democratic nation that political underlying is the primary reason for the disappearance of Georgiy.
Because of the incomplete investigations of crimes against journalists, which we consider to be a threat, we are forced to demand the personal responsibility of the Minister of Internal Affairs Yu. F. Kravchenko and the General Procurator M.O. Potebenko to fully investigate the reasons for the disappearance of Georgiy Gongadze, and all crimes against journalists.
We demand the creation of normal conditions for us to perform our professional journalistic obligations. We, journalists, that have signed this letter, are aware, that that which happened to Georgiy yesterday, can happen to each and every one of us.
We believe, that Georgiy is alive, and that he will be found!
Kyiv, September 19, 2000
TO THE PRESIDENT OF UKRIANE AND THE PARLIAMENT OF URKAINE
IN REGARDS TO THE DISAPPEARNCE OF JOURNALITS GEORGIY GONGADZE AND THE SITUATION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN UKRAINE
Dear Mr. President!
Dear People's Deputies!
On September 16, 2000, Georgiy Gongadze, well known opposition journalist and director of the Ukrainian Internet-Newspaper project "Ukrainska Pravda" disappeared for unknown reasons.
Besides this, law enforcement organs are doing a great deal to figure out the reason for his the disappearance and the search for this journalist; the fate of Georgiy is still unknown.
The situation of Georgiy's disappearance invokes within us journalists, a serious anxiety and disturbance. We are disturbed with the fact that during the period of Ukraine's independence not a single criminal act against journalists has been investigated to completion. We would only like to name a few: the cases of Vadym Boyko, Petro Shevchenko, and Boris Derevianko.
Every time we inquire as to the investigations of these crimes we get the following responses: "The investigation is still underway ", "The situation is under control ", "Such-and-such a criminal will be revealed"...
The lack of results of these investigation of crimes against journalists gives us reason to present and the to state, that no one, besides journalists, are interested in the fate of our colleagues. The greatest danger in this situation is that the main reason in all instances was that the professional activity of all these journalists was in the political sphere.
Each of us feels, that it is more and more difficult to realize our professional obligations - to objectively inform society about events, which are taking place in Ukraine. In relation to this, experts of international organizations have more than once commented on the breech of freedom of speech in Ukraine. Practically each of us, political journalists, have had to deal with pressures.
Georgiy Gongadze had to more than once deal with restricted access to information; he experienced direct pressure and even threats on his person. Evidence of this were the numerous times that he had to turn to law enforcement organs, who, to this time not given any concrete answers.
We stress, that the pressures on Georgiy increased after harsh commentary was both published and spoken, in which he criticized certain activities of individuals of authority and the so called oligarchs.
And for this reason, most journalist, politicians and community activists consider that the greatest reason for the disappearance of this journalist to be a political one.
It is terrible, that during the tenth year of development of a democratic nation that political underlying is the primary reason for the disappearance of Georgiy.
Because of the incomplete investigations of crimes against journalists, which we consider to be a threat, we are forced to demand the personal responsibility of the Minister of Internal Affairs Yu. F. Kravchenko and the General Procurator M.O. Potebenko to fully investigate the reasons for the disappearance of Georgiy Gongadze, and all crimes against journalists.
We demand the creation of normal conditions for us to perform our professional journalistic obligations. We, journalists, that have signed this letter, are aware, that that which happened to Georgiy yesterday, can happen to each and every one of us.
We believe, that Georgiy is alive, and that he will be found!
Kyiv, September 19, 2000
