Journalists in Kyiv protest against the adoption of the libel law

 Several hundred people, among them journalists and civic activists were protesting near Ukraine's parliament building in Kyiv on Oct. 1, where a meeting of the conciliatory council of the leaders of parliamentary factions and committees was taking place.

Earlier on Sept. 18, the parliament passed in the first reading a bill by Vitaliy Zhuravsky, a lawmaker in the pro-presidential Party of Regions faction, according to which those found guilty could be sentenced to up to three years in prison. Later on the deputy backed off on his draft law. On Oct. 2 the parliament will consider whether to cancel these legislation novelties.

The participants in the rally are against the adoption of the bill criminalizing slander, and are holding white sheets and posters with the inscriptions "MPs Need Law on Slander," "All that the People Think about the Government is Slander." Some protesters were handing out leaflets stating that the authors of the law on slander must answer for their actions.