Kyiv's prosecutor's office closes LB.ua case (updated)

Kyiv's prosecutor's office has closed a criminal case against the LB.ua online publication regarding invasion of privacy of people's deputy Volodymyr Landik (Regions Party faction) due to his inconsistent position.

"The prosecutor's office of Kyiv has ruled to close the criminal case on the violation of the correspondence privacy of people's deputy Landik due to the inconsistent position of the plaintiff, who has made several conflicting statements in the media," reads a statement of the press service of the prosecutor's office.

According to the prosecutor's office, such a decision was taken after checks were made into the legitimacy of the opening and investigation of criminal cases against the media, in particular, against the LB.ua online news site.

"The resolution closing the criminal case notes that the violation of the law by the Internet publication has not caused significant harm in this particular situation," reads the statement.

As reported, Regions Party MP Volodymyr Landik demanded that the prosecutor's office in Pechersk district in Kyiv open a criminal case against a number of journalists from the LB.ua online publication. The prosecutors checked a statement made by the MP regarding the violation of his rights by an online publication.

The publication's editor-in-chief, Sonia Koshkina, said on the Shuster Live talk show via Skype that Landik's statement "is nothing more than an occasion to deal with our media outlet and me personally."

Landik subsequently recanted his claims, and the conflict was resolved.

The prosecutor's office in Kyiv subsequently denied reports on the opening of a criminal case against LB.ua, as claimed by the publication.

On July 18, Kyiv Prosecutor's Office reported that the Prosecutor's Office of Pechersky district in Kyiv had opened a criminal case on the violation of the secrecy of the correspondence of Landik by the LB.ua online publication.

Kyiv Prosecutor Anatoliy Melnyk denied the possibility of there being political motives behind the opening of the case.