“Do Not Oppress Journalists, They Will Write Your Obituary”, – British Radio Reporter

British radio reporter and host Seva Novgorodtsev, has said television channels can only be closed under a court decision, not because of someone’s decree.

The British radio reporter said so in an interview with NewsONE TV channel.

According, “Frankly, I don’t know what’s the deal with these three TV channels; I only ran my eye over the documents. Whatever these TV channels were blamed for were the speeches of certain TV program participants who talked too tough, in someone else’s opinion. But, gentlemen, these people went live, and the TV channel cannot control what people say. So these charges are not quite legitimate”, he said.

Novgorodtsev marked that a lot of fellow reporters protest against the decision.

“I understand them. They had a carpet rudely removed from underneath their feet, and they fell with heels over their heads. That’s not the way to communicate with the press. The governments come and go, and one has to learn and prepare a lot to become a journalist. It was my old grumpy joke: “Do not oppress journalists, they will write your obituary”.

Over 400 journalists from 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZIK TV channels, which were closed in early February, are holding a protest against the restriction of freedom of speech in the country. More than a thousand viewers of TV channels also came to support the journalists.

They lined up in a long chain on Parkova Alley, not far from the Parkovy Exhibition Center, where the forum “Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses” is due to take place today with the participation of President Zelensky. The journalists are holding posters “Kim Jong-Ze,” “Ze against the truth,” “The end of freedom of speech,” “Not war, but the channels,” and many others.

Film crews of the TV channels tried to enter the event, but the guards did not let them in, arguing that “they are not on the lists.”

The presenters and film crews appeared on air of 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZIK TV channels with their mouths sealed, which symbolizes the restriction of freedom of speech in Ukraine.

Earlier, on February 2, 2021, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council on the introduction of personal sanctions against the MP from the Opposition Platform – For Life Taras Kozak. In particular, it is about the cancellation of broadcasting licenses of the TV channels belonging to him (112 Ukraine, NewsOne, ZIK). According to the decree, which came into force from the moment of signing, sanctions were applied to TV channels for five years.

protesting journalist