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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

FREEDOM OF SPEECH THE UKRAINIAN WAY Bailiffs descend upon Kievskie Vedomosti

13 November, 2012 - 00:00

Last week the Kievskie Vedomosti newspaper expected bailiffs to take inventory of the newspaper's property.

As reported previously, Pechersk district court and then the city court adopted a decision according to which the paper is obliged to pay Hr 5 million in compensation for causing moral damage to the Internal Affairs Minister Yuri Kravchenko. The newspaper's bank account has been frozen.

According to editor-in-chief Yevhen Yakunov, an appeal has been filed with the Supreme Court of Ukraine. In case the appeal is accepted for consideration, sanctions against the newspaper will be suspended and it will start working. If not, everything will depend on the bailiffs' decision – to take inventory of the property or to impound it. The strict position of the powerful plaintiff and the judges hints that the latter is more likely. Yakunov, however, retains hope. He said that with help of its founders the newspaper can afford to pay the huge fine, although he considers it rubbish.

Yakunov recalls that some time ago the head of city administration Oleksandr Omelchenko filed a suit for Hr 1 million. But the Supreme Court of Ukraine reduced this assault on press freedom to Hr 2,000.

But Kievskie Vedomosti may not file the appeal until the city court chairman stamps and signs the suit the paper lost. Thus, on the one hand bailiffs cannot impound the newspaper's property, but on the other the paper's lawyers cannot make a protest to Parliament. In case the property is impounded, Yakunov intends to continue work using equipment rented from some other newspaper.

Chairman of the Journalists Union of Ukraine Ihor Lubchenko told The Day that as soon as he receives the court's decision, the Union will address an appeal to the Supreme Court and Prosecutor's Office, demanding reconsideration of the excessive fine, the only purpose of which is bringing the press to heel. The union will also initiate debates on passing legislative norms prohibiting such exorbitant fines.

 

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