IVAN DRACH: “Silski visti must come out”
The regular issue of the Silski visti (one of Ukraine’s largest-circulation newspapers) did not come off the presses last Thursday, shortly after the editorial staff marked its eightieth anniversary. Cause of stoppage: a tax authority’s directive impounding the paper stored at the Presa Ukrayiny Central Print Combine.
At a March 16 press conference at the Journalists’ Union deputy editor-in-chief Vasyl Hruzin confirmed the information previously carried by news agencies that the tax people’s impounding was due to the editors’ alleged nonpayment of the taxes levied on ten apartments bought for staff members. The newspaper was levied a fine which, together with penalties, amounted to UAH 1,010,600. The editors paid the fine and continued publication, whereupon another technique was applied, simple and effective as a knockout. A document was demanded first by a militia investigating officer and several hours later by the tax inspectorate. In the latter case the editors had to say no, explaining that the document was with the militia investigator. The tax inspectorate lieutenant issued a warrant freezing paper’s bank account.
The next day the Presa Ukrayiny deputy manager informed the editorial office that their paper had been impounded.
Ihor Lubchenko, President of the Journalists’ Union, called the whole thing outrageous. “I am against anyone breaking the law. But I am also against nationwide newspaper being closed by a lieutenant of a district tax inspectorate or fire brigade sergeant,” he declared and seconded the journalists’ proposal to publish a White Book of Journalism in Ukraine about purges and persecution suffered by the national media.
Borys Oliynyk reminded journalists that Silski visti had been closed three times over the eighty years of its existence: first, when Kyiv was occupied by the Nazis; second, for one day in 1991 during the Moscow Putsch, and finally this year.
According to Vasyl Hruzin, the newspaper would appear in print Friday anyway, for they would get the paper from another newspaper.
The Day got in touch with Ivan Drach, Chairman of the State Committee for Information Policy, Television, and Radio, and asked for an official explanation. Mr. Drach said he was not fully informed at the moment to form an opinion about the legitimacy of the tax authority’s behavior. Personally, he was convinced that “the executive branch is acting using tax authorities.” When asked whether he agreed that blocking any media always has a political aspect to it, Mr. Drach assured that his committee “will make every effort to prevent blockade of the fifth estate. Silski visti must be published, he added but could not say what steps the committee would take, explaining that this was not within his competence.
All one can say at the moment is that the image of democrats taking leading posts in the information realm is being put to a serious test. It is no secret that the opposition media are combated using various government agencies. Yet no information committee or ministry has ever confirmed that the situation is out of control. Obviously, media people will have a lot of questions to ask unless the Information Policy Committee takes specific steps soon, attesting either to its determination to implement the freedom of expression or continue in its old vein as a Ministry of Truth.
