Human Rights Group Calls On New Ukrainian Leader To Focus On Press Freedom, Other Issues

Human Rights Group Calls on New Ukrainian Leader to Focus on Press Freedom, Other Issues

A prominent human rights group sent on Monday a letter of congratulations to new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on occasion of his inauguration, calling on him to focus on a number of issues, including ensuring the freedom of press and safety for activists

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2019) A prominent human rights group sent on Monday a letter of congratulations to new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on occasion of his inauguration, calling on him to focus on a number of issues, including ensuring the freedom of press and safety for activists.

Earlier in the day, Zelenskiy was inaugurated in Kiev after a landslide victory in the presidential runoff on April 21. He immediately called for a snap parliamentary vote.

"We are writing at the beginning of your presidency to ask that, as you look forward, you ensure that justice, accountability, and human rights protections are central to your agenda, particularly in areas where progress has been lacking. Specifically, we call on you to end impunity for hate-based violence and violence against civil society activists and journalists; to enhance accountability of law enforcement and security service agencies through greater civilian oversight; and to uphold the rights of people in eastern Ukraine affected by the armed conflict, particularly older people," the Human Rights Watch group said in the letter to Zelenskiy.

According to the NGO, media freedom is still under pressure in Ukraine, with journalists facing attacks in the country.

"During your presidency, we ask that you call for an end to the arbitrary use of court orders demanding private information from journalists, ensure that foreign journalists have unfettered access to the country, and that abuses against and attacks on journalists will not be tolerated," the letter added.

Dozens of journalists have faced persecution and detention in Ukraine over the past few years, including Igor Guzhva, the editor-in-chief of Kiev-based news website Strana.ua, who was detained in Kiev on June 22, 2017 on suspicion of extortion; journalist Vasily Muravitsky, who was accused of treason for his media publications; and the arrest of RIA Novosti Ukraine web portal head Kirill Vyshinsky in May 2018 over treason charges.