Just three weeks ago, during one of his rare appearances before journalists, President Viktor Yanukovych again tried to promote himself as a democratic leader who supports freedom of speech.
Eager to create a favorable impression, Yanukovych promised a special commission to investigate any infringement of journalistic freedoms.
He pledged to personally intervene should any journalist suffer violations.
It’s all the more disappointing that the same person would sign into law a measure that jeopardizes free and fair journalism in Ukraine.
Ignoring appeals by media watchdogs for a veto, Yanukovych signed the Law on Court Fees that enables libel lawsuits against journalists and media organizations for gigantic sums of money.
According to media experts from Kyiv’s Media Law Institute, the new law – which takes effect on Nov. 1 – will make filing a libel lawsuit much easier.
For example, to file a Hr 1 million claim – an amount sufficient to shut down many print, online or broadcast media – the plaintiff would have to pay merely Hr 2,880 – about $360.
It’s all the more disappointing that the same person would sign into law a measure that jeopardizes free and fair journalism in Ukraine.
The new law cancels the existing governmental decree that required the plaintiff to pay a 10 percent deposit on any libel lawsuit that seeks more than Hr 170,000 in damages.
This clause was specifically in place to protect media organizations from exorbitant and punitive lawsuits.
The new law, in turn, enables virtually infinite libel lawsuits against media, which will further curtail freedom of speech in this nation, especially considering the notorious lack of transparency and integrity that plagues Ukraine’s judiciary.
In this context, the president’s statements about freedom of speech are empty prattle.
The new libel law may mean that free speech is simply a luxury that no journalist or media organization in Ukraine will be able to afford.
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