Reporters Without Borders is deeply shocked by the scarcely veiled death threats against independent journalist Serhiy Leshchenko that were expressed by Vyacheslav Pikhovshek, a PR consultant who supports President Viktor Yanukovych, in an opinion piece published in the pro-government newspaper Izvestiya v Ukrayine. (Pikhovshek told the Kyiv Post he wasn’t trying to issue a veiled death threat; he was simply writing "my opinion.")

Leshchenko is an influential journalist who often writes about corruption for Ukrayinska Pravda, a news website founded by Georgiy Gongadze, an outspoken reporter who was murdered in September 2000.

In his article, published on 26 January, Pikhovshek claimed to be “concerned” about Lechenko’s fate, likening his position to Gongadze’s in 2000 and suggesting that he was best-placed to be the next journalist murdered in Ukraine. He went on to say that the opposition could be in favour of murdering Lechenko so that the blame could be put on the government.

“These comments are despicable and dangerous,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Suggesting that Leshchenko could suffer the same fate as Gongadze is a barely disguised death threat, one that is particularly revolting as the people behind Gongadze’s murder have still not been brought to justice although ten years have gone by.”

The press freedom organisation added: “The comments are all the disturbing because they come from someone who is close to the government. They are a form of manipulation designed to intimidate and silence Leshchenko. They also implicitly try to blame Gongadze’s murder on the opposition.”

It is also significant that Izvestiya v Ukrayine’s editor, Yanina Sokolovska, who was a ruling party election candidate, refused to publish Leshchenko’s response in its entirety. She was ready to publish a version from which all criticism of the government had been removed, but Leshchenko declined.

“European democratic principles provide for the right of reply,” Leshchenko responded. “The newspaper you edit published an article in which I was portrayed as a journalist who should be killed for bringing the government into disrepute. I would like you to give me the opportunity to publish in your newspaper a complete response to this article, without any censorship.”

Reporters Without Borders calls on Izvestiya v Ukrayine to have the honesty and decency to publish Leshchenko’s response, and to refrain from carrying such irresponsible and violent articles as Pikhovshek’s in the future.

STATEMENT OF VYACHESLAV PIKHOVSHEK:

I am shocked by a statement from Reporters Without Borders. This statement is untrue and an unlimited gross manipulation.

1. I am not a PR consultant who supports President Viktor Yanukovych.

2. I am not a person close to the government of Ukraine or any other government. The statement that I am a person close to the Ukrainian government is a lie.

3. In my article, I did not threaten, intimidate or silence anyone. My right to free speech and saying his point of view like the right of Sergei Leshchenko, like any other journalist.

The meaning of my article was that, as a person working in the Ukrainian journalism since 1995, I learned enough manners of Ukrainian politics. What is happening reminds me of what I’ve
seen. In this regard, I do not rule out the attempted assassination of a journalist that could be used as an argument to anti-democratic processes in Ukraine.

I do not want such a development. I’ve seen how politicians have used the death of Gregory Gongadze in their interests. I do not want the death of a journalist, no matter what name he
did not wear. Be silent in situations where you have to express my assumption is, in my view dishonest and cowardly.

Following his statement to me as a PR consultant and a person close to the government, I suggest, "Reporters Without Borders" check the facts.