The National Union of Journalists has slammed the intention of the country's parliament to impose sanctions against several television channels, calling the move politically motivated.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) The National Union of Journalists has slammed the intention of the country's parliament to impose sanctions against several television channels, calling the move politically motivated.
A total of 229 lawmakers in the 450-seat Rada voted on Thursday for sanctions against seven television channels, owned by 112.Ukraina and NewsOne. The bill needs approval of the National Security and Defense Council.
"This is a dangerous precedent as measures proposed against Ukrainian media are not legal but political," the union's chairman, Serhiy Tomilenko, told the 112.Ukraina.
Both channels abide by Ukrainian laws, which allow them to challenge the motion, Tomilenko said, adding that Ukraine faced "chaos in media regulation."
The outlets stand accused of spreading "propaganda in the interests of the aggressor state," a term Kiev uses to refer to Russia. Russia has repeatedly rejected this label, saying it has no role in the four-year conflict in Ukraine's east.
