The PGO said it had opened and investigated 23 criminal cases related to professional activities of journalists since 2005. The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has assured that they will protect the rights and freedoms of the press in Ukraine from illegal and criminal encroachments.

This is stated in a conclusion made by the Prosecutor General's Office as a result of the checks requested by Ukraine's first president Leonid Kravchuk.

"The prosecution agencies in the performance of a request by the president of Ukraine on protecting journalists' rights will be actively using the powers granted by law to protect rights of mass media from unlawful and criminal encroachment s," the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office said.

The PGO said it had opened and investigated 23 criminal cases related to professional activities of journalists since 2005. Eleven of them went to court, the investigation on six cases continues.