The event was held at the initiative
of the Interim Inquiry Panel of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine set up to
investigate Censorship in Mass Media, Restriction of Freedom of Speech in
Ukraine and Interference with the Professional Activity of the Journalists and
Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information.
Participants of the round table discussion focused on legislative gaps in support of the journalists´ right to profession. Namely, the journalists and non-governmental organizations complained about the non-observance of the legislation in mass media, and lack of professional ethics in cooperation between the journalists and officials of the law-enforcement bodies.
Chairperson of the Interim Inquiry Panel Iryna Herashchenko believes that the law-enforcement officials shall observe the rules of professional ethics. She is convinced that if security, law enforcement and defense officers infringe upon the law, "they should have enough fortitude to beg pardon." I. Hersashchenko stated that she remembered only one situation when officers offered an apology to journalist Mustafa Nayem for their incorrect comments.
I. Herashchenko also stated that the work of the Interim Inquiry Panel should present specific proposals on improvement of the Ukrainian laws in mass media sector.
The speakers Serhii Andrushko and Olena Bilozerska are convinced that mass media representatives "should not be silent, but declare in public the abuse and interference with their professional activity, not being afraid to protect their rights."
The participants of the meeting also discussed activity of bloggers and freelancers, as they have no legal status to be equaled to that of the journalists. Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information Andrii Shevchenko stressed, "Bloggers and freelancers need protection, since Ukrainian legislation shall consider rapid development of internet technologies."
The representatives of the Department of State Security who were present during the meeting informed that after several incidents with the journalists, their department prepared a special instruction how the security officials shall behave during the public events with mass media representatives. (The document was available during the round table discussion.)
Representatives of the mass media organizations and journalists submitted their amendments to the effective legislation.
In the result of the discussion, the proposals on the regulation of normative-legal issues of cooperation between the journalists and officials of the law-enforcement bodies shall be prepared.
People´s Deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, representatives of the General Prosecutor Office of Ukraine, Ministry on Internal Affairs of Ukraine, State Security Department, Security Service of Ukraine, State Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasting, non-governmental mass media and law-enforcement agencies, media lawyers, and journalists who addressed the Interim Inquiry Panel with respective appeals attended the round table discussion.