Ukrainian Parliament recommends National Defense Council to apply sanctions against the 112 Ukraine TV channel. With the approaching of two election campaigns of 2019, there are more and more politicians in Ukraine who are trying to use the editorial policy of the TV channel as a target of the attacks and a tool for a cheap politicking

Today Ukrainian Parliament adopted a resolution, which aims to apply sanctions against the 112 Ukraine TV channel. The step taken is nothing but a political decision; there is not enough evidence to make such a decision, which badly lacks argumentation and might be considered unconstitutional.

The parliament stated that “there are systematic signs of imitation of discourse practices of Russian imperial- chauvinistic propaganda in the activity of a number of legal entities, permanent demonstration of propaganda, and spreading of the ideology of terrorism”.

112 Ukraine TV channel published an open letter to attract public attention to the urgent need to protect one of the most popular Ukrainian TV channels.

112 Ukraine TV channel also turned for help to international organizations for the protection of journalist rights.

Unfortunately, with the approaching of two election campaigns of 2019, there are more and more politicians in Ukraine who are trying to use the editorial policy of the TV channel as a target of the attacks and a tool for a cheap politicking.

Constant attacks from the authorities, which were refusing to prolong broadcasting licenses for the TV channel, are now followed by pressure from the radically minded people’s deputies of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, who started gathering signatures to stop the broadcasting of the TV channel, and have recently adopted the regulation on imposition of the sanctions against several companies who own TV channels.

The TV channel welcomes the representatives of different political forces, public figures, and experts regardless of their political preferences. It is natural, that our guests might be people who criticize the current authority, pointing to the corruption level increase and curtailing the freedom of expression, in particular. We stress that the communication with our guests is held on air, therefore, such information is presented “uncut” and without editing, and people in the studio have an opportunity to express their opinion on the most acute issues, which concern the community.

***

The staff of 112 Ukraine TV channel insists that the steps made by the Ukrainian Parliament, which aim to apply sanctions against 112 Ukraine TV channel are nothing but a political decision; there is not enough evidence to make such decision, which badly lacks argumentation and may be considered unconstitutional.