Leonid Danylovych Kuchma (the President of Ukraine), here is a letter for you!
Вівторок, 26 вересня 2000, 13:51
Committee on Protecting Journalists - the most respected international organization on protection of rights of journalists with it's base in the US sent a personal letter to the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma. The letter expresses "a deep concern in regards to the disappearance of the
known Ukrainian journalist, Director of Internet Project "Ukrainian Pravda" Georgi Gongadze".
The letter informs that "this case has alarmed journalists of Ukraine and undermined even more already shaky trust to your government on the issue of Freedom of Press", as InterFax-Ukraine says. The organization calls L. Kuchma to take all possible measures to make sure that journalist of Ukraine are safe. "We are waiting for your answer", - says in the end Ann Kuper, the Executive Director of Committee on Protection of Journalists.
CPJ called the Police to investigate thoroughly the disappearance of Gongadze and to regularly inform the public on how it goes. As InterFax-Ukraine says, CPJ draws attention of the President to the facts, which were stated in the open letter of Ukrainian journalists - death of Petro Shevchenko, the correspondent of "Kievskiye Vedomosti", who was found hanging at the outskirts of Kiev in March 1997 and the murder of Borys Derevyanko, Editor in Chief at "Evening Odessa" in August 1997.
CPJ says that according to its investigation in 2000 in Ukraine 2 journalists were beaten after publishing articles on corruption in the bodies of power. "These cases show that Ukrainian journalists risk with their life when criticizing public officials or other influential figures.
CPJ protested in its letters your (President) name against such attacks but has not received any answer", - the statement of CPJ says.
Copies of the letter were sent to the General Public Prosecutor of Ukraine M. Potebenko, the Ambassador of the US in Ukraine Steven Pifer and to leading international journalists and legal organization. On the list of 10 state leaders - enemies of press, which was prepared by the Committee on Protection of Journalists in 1999, L. Kuchma was the 6th.
known Ukrainian journalist, Director of Internet Project "Ukrainian Pravda" Georgi Gongadze".
The letter informs that "this case has alarmed journalists of Ukraine and undermined even more already shaky trust to your government on the issue of Freedom of Press", as InterFax-Ukraine says. The organization calls L. Kuchma to take all possible measures to make sure that journalist of Ukraine are safe. "We are waiting for your answer", - says in the end Ann Kuper, the Executive Director of Committee on Protection of Journalists.
CPJ called the Police to investigate thoroughly the disappearance of Gongadze and to regularly inform the public on how it goes. As InterFax-Ukraine says, CPJ draws attention of the President to the facts, which were stated in the open letter of Ukrainian journalists - death of Petro Shevchenko, the correspondent of "Kievskiye Vedomosti", who was found hanging at the outskirts of Kiev in March 1997 and the murder of Borys Derevyanko, Editor in Chief at "Evening Odessa" in August 1997.
CPJ says that according to its investigation in 2000 in Ukraine 2 journalists were beaten after publishing articles on corruption in the bodies of power. "These cases show that Ukrainian journalists risk with their life when criticizing public officials or other influential figures.
CPJ protested in its letters your (President) name against such attacks but has not received any answer", - the statement of CPJ says.
Copies of the letter were sent to the General Public Prosecutor of Ukraine M. Potebenko, the Ambassador of the US in Ukraine Steven Pifer and to leading international journalists and legal organization. On the list of 10 state leaders - enemies of press, which was prepared by the Committee on Protection of Journalists in 1999, L. Kuchma was the 6th.
