Media organizations and human rights defenders appealed to the Verkhovna Rada not to support draft law No. 10242 in its current version, as it creates serious risks for freedom of speech, the activities of journalists, as well as the protection of sources of information and whistleblowers of corruption in Ukraine.
This is stated in statement media movement
According to representatives of the media, the new version of the draft law proposed for voting did not take into account the previously expressed comments. In particular, it is about the lack of proper protection mechanisms for persons who disclose socially important confidential information, including journalists and whistleblowers of corruption.
The document proposes the introduction of criminal liability for the distribution of confidential data from registers. The initial text provided for a penalty of 8 years in prison, but before the second reading, this term was reduced to 5 years. However, according to experts, even such a punishment is disproportionately harsh, especially under martial law.
“Criminal liability for the disclosure of confidential information from the registers must be accompanied by the creation of reliable mechanisms for the protection of journalists and whistleblowers of corruption. We call on the people’s deputies not to vote for draft law No. 10242, but on the representatives of the Committee on Law Enforcement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for a genuine dialogue with representatives of the media community.”, says the statement.
