Strasbourg, 02.10.2012 - Responding to today's vote in the Ukrainian Parliament the Secretary General issued the following statement :
 

"I welcome that the draft law criminalising defamation has been withdrawn from the procedure in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Defamation is a legitimate concern, but criminal sanctions are the wrong response. I encourage the Ukrainian authorities to engage in a dialogue with media organisations, civil society and all political forces, in order to agree on civil remedies that offer adequate protection against defamation without unjustly interfering with freedom of expression."

Ukraine and the Council of Europe