President of the international NGO European Media Platform and former PACE co-rapporteur for Ukraine (1995-2007) Hanne Severinsen has said that there is censorship in the Ukrainian media, which is destroying the diversity of opinions.
"It has been a year since power became concentrated in one hand. There is a lot of censorship practiced in Ukraine aimed at destroying [political] plurality," Severinsen said during a roundtable in Kyiv on Tuesday.
According to her, in the five years that have passed since the Orange Revolution the situation with political pluralism and freedom of speech in the media has again deteriorated.
Severinsen said that Ukraine should meet its obligations to the Council of Europe, including those related to political pluralism and democracy.
According to her, public discussion should continue concerning the promises of the authorities to set up independent television stations. "It is impossible to do without it, due to the fact that independent channels can conduct investigative reporting, criticize the government, regardless of anyone," Severinsen explained.
She also called for the formation of a public broadcasting network in Ukraine.
