A new communication by the Ukrainian NGO Institute of Mass Information was submitted to the Committee of Ministers, focusing on the safety of journalists in the context of the case Gongadze v. Ukraine.
In its submission the NGO expressed its concerns as to the ineffectiveness of investigations into crimes against journalists. It noted that despite the more than 200 cases concerning violations of journalists’ rights reported in 2019, only five relevant judgments were rendered by Ukrainian courts in 2020. The NGO linked this situation to the lack of proper training of law-enforcement officials, as well as to the restrictive definition of the term “journalist” in the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
In reply, the Ukrainian authorities referred to a draft law recently tabled at Parliament. The draft law aims, amongst others, to broaden the above definition and to improve the protection of journalists. The authorities also noted that an inter-agency working group was established in July 2020 with a view to analysing the issues at stake and suggesting solutions to increase the effectiveness of investigations in such cases.
