You're reading: CFS demands Poroshenko, Groysman, Parubiy stop pressure on Schuster and his TV channel

The Committee for Freedom of Speech demands Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy should stop the pressure on the 3s.tv channel and its owner - journalist and political talk show host Savik Shuster and allow him to work in Ukraine.

“We have created the Committee for Freedom of Speech, which includes journalists, public figures, lawmakers… We appeal to the authorities and demand that the country’s top officials: President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy should use all possible measures to stop the pressure on Savik Shuster’s 3stv channel, and restore his legitimate work permit,” the Committee said in a statement issued at a press conference in Kyiv on April 29.

At the press conference, Shuster said: “It is unpleasant for me, being a journalist, to be in the shoes of a civic activist, because it is not my job and I am not prepared for it. What has happened to us is a signal and a symptom. The work permit was withdrawn with violations of all laws, rules and regulations.

“In his words, the suspension of a decision to revoke his work permit resembles a ‘ceasefire.’ The authorities may be preparing to a new attack, and the committee needs to prepare to a new defense, Shuster said.

It emerged on April 26 that Shuster’s license to work in Ukraine had been canceled. The Kyiv job centre said it made the decision after receiving information from the State Employment Service that Shuster is the subject of a criminal investigation.

On April 28 the State Employment Service suspended the decision of the Kyiv job centre, canceling the Ukrainian work permit for Shuster, a Canadian citizen, pending the inquiry.