The Verkhovna Rada supported the bill on the right of those involved in investigations to delete materials about themselves
The Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading draft law No. 14057, which gives those involved in investigations the opportunity to delete critical materials about themselves and force journalists to remain silent. This was reported by the Anti-Corruption Center.
The document was mostly initiated by deputies from the Servant of the People party, but representatives of all factions actually voted for the project. Among those who supported it were dozens of parliamentarians who themselves appeared in journalistic investigations and, apparently, seek to prevent public revelations and protect their reputations.
The main initiator of the bill was the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk. Among the co-authors are MP Maksym Buzhansky, known for his scandalous statements, as well as Andriy Klochko, who is suspected of illegal enrichment after the investigation Bihus.Info. The list of authors also includes Bohdan Torokhtiy, who also appears in the materials of this project. Another co-author, MP Roman Kapt’elov, became the hero of the investigation “Schemes” about an undeclared Moscow apartment, after which the NABU initiated criminal proceedings.
“If the bill is adopted in its entirety, journalists risk being threatened with millions of lawsuits and the risk of censorship by the courts”, the CPC explained.
In particular, the bill contains a provision that automatically recognizes information as unreliable if it is not confirmed by a court verdict. This gives corrupt officials a legal tool to hide abuse, block investigations, and remove unwanted materials from archives.
