The purpose of the centre is to collect materials on the assault against journalists in the May 18 rally and to supervise the fulfillment of the journalists’ requirements.
Stop Censorship! activists demand:
1. Effective investigation of the assault against their colleagues and interference with their professional activity. This should take into account photo and video materials from journalists, as well as journalist investigations.
2. Internal investigation of inactivity of the police officers who were present at the scene and charges against them.
3. Disclosure of reasons of the assault, including copies of the documents authorizing police escort of the non-armed APC that caused the clashes on Mala Zhytomyrska Street.
4. Weekly public reports on the course of investigation of the assault against journalists and the internal investigation of police’s inactivity.
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According to the movement activists, the Interior Ministry is trying to distort evident facts and covering up those guilty of the assault against journalists in the May 18 rally.
According to earlier reports, the Verkhovna Rada established a temporary investigation commission on May 23 to look into the case.
Meanwhile, Valeriy Koriak, Head of the Interior Ministry Headquarters, admitted that the police “acted indecisively” during the clash between Svoboda activists and a group of men of athletic appearance, where journalists Olha Snitsarchuk and photographer Vlad Sodel were injured while filming the incident.
Earlier, the Interior Ministry initiated the investigation into the inactivity of its officers during the assault.
Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders requested Ukrainian authorities to investigate the incident and hold the assaulters liable.
Simon Smith, UK Ambassador to Ukraine, the European Commission and US Embassy in Ukraine also expressed their concern regarding the incident.
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