The bill (Reg. No6447-1) eliminates the drawbacks in legislative regulation of the issues connected with the effective legal mechanism of freedom of speech and literary, artistic and research activity guarantees in Ukraine, prevents censorship, and guarantees political, economic, ideological diversity in the public life.
The Criminal Code is supplemented with the provisions establishing criminal responsibility for censorship, infringement on the rights of freedom of speech and literary, artistic and research activity.
The items of the Criminal Code that establish responsibility for impeding legal professional activity of the journalists were specified.
The bill also establishes responsibility for the withdrawal of the collected, processed and ready journalist materials and technical means used by the journalists in their activity.
Furthermore, it introduces the norm, pursuant to which, one of the representatives of the Ombudsperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is a representative in charge of the freedom of speech matters.