Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko should immediately reverse the ban on Russian websites VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, and Yandex, and take steps to protect freedom of expression and information in Ukraine, according to Human Rights Watch.
“This is yet another example of the ease with which Poroshenko unjustifiably tries to control public discourse in Ukraine,” said Tanya Cooper, Ukraine researcher at Human Rights Watch, an international NGO that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.
“Poroshenko may try to justify this latest step, but it is a cynical, politically expedient attack on the right to information affecting millions of Ukrainians, and their personal and professional lives.”
The NGO in a May 17 publication insists that as Ukraine is a party to the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it must guarantee its citizens freedom of expression — including access to information.
“Only restrictions that are necessary and proportionate for a legitimate purpose may be imposed, and the ban set out in the decree does not pass that test,” the NGO wrote.
On May 16, President Poroshenko signed a decree that extends the list of physical persons and legal entities that are affected by Ukrainian sanctions against Russia.
The new list affects Russian IT companies and internet platforms like Yandex, VKontakte, and Odnoklassniki — all of which are hugely popular in Ukraine. It also forces Ukrainian internet providers to cut access to the website of Russian independent TV channel RBK.
A total of 1,228 firms and 468 individuals fall under new sanctions, which officially came into force as of May 16.
However, some telecoms and internet providers have yet to comply, saying they lack the equipment or technologies required to block their clients’ access to the websites.
