Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – February 11, 2021 – Local News
On February 9, 2021, the Administrative Court of Cassation of the Supreme Court ruled on two lawsuits challenging the decree of President Volodymyr Zelensky to enforce the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to impose sanctions on 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZIK.
One lawsuit was dismissed by the court and the plaintiff was given 10 days to remedy the deficiencies. ” The decision is motivated by the fact that the plaintiff did not provide a justification for the violation of the contested decree of rights, freedoms, and interests, for the protection of which he appealed to the court. In addition, the plaintiff did not specify the grounds for the involvement of the National Security and Defense Council, LLC “News 24 hours”, LLC “Teleradiocompany” 112-TV “, LLC” New Communications “to participate in the case as third parties who do not make independent claims on the subject of a dispute the defendant, ”the Supreme Court explained.
The court also refused to open proceedings on the second lawsuit, in which they asked to declare illegal and cancel the presidential decree. ” In fact, the content of the statement of claim indicates that it was filed in the interests and to protect the rights of other persons – legal entities, which, according to the plaintiff, are the owners of TV channels, ” – said in a statement.
In addition, the Supreme Court added that the third lawsuit with similar claims has not yet been considered – the court has five days to do so.
According to the DM, on February 4, the Supreme Court received two lawsuits against the presidential decree on sanctions against Taras Kozak and his channels. Later, the Supreme Court received another similar lawsuit filed by a Kharkiv lawyer, a member of the Chuhuiv Human Rights Group, Roman Lykhachev.
We will remind, that president Vladimir Zelensky put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council from February 2, 2021 “About application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)”. It envisages the imposition of sanctions against Taras Kozak, a People’s Deputy of Ukraine, and companies that own licenses for Medvedchuk Group’s 112 Ukraine, NewsOne, and ZIK TV channels. The sanctions were imposed for five years.
Of the 19 council members, 17 voted in favor of the sanctions, one was absent, and Parliament Speaker Dmytro Razumkov abstained. He believes that those responsible for cooperation with Russia and terrorist financing should be punished in accordance with the law. Instead, in his opinion, sanctions are imposed against persons who cannot be prosecuted before a Ukrainian court.
The owner of the Novyny media holding, Taras Kozak, called the actions of the National Security and Defense Council illegal, and the decision on sanctions an act of censorship. A statement from Medvedchuk’s channels, which appeared on the 112 Ukraine website, called the NSDC’s decision “a decision to destroy three opposition TV channels” and “a political massacre of undesirable media.” The channels, the statement said, “intend to fight for their right to broadcast for Ukrainians, to tell the truth to citizens and to be on the air.” However, the authors of the statement did not specify what methods of struggle are in question.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and SBU Chairman Ivan Bakanov consider the ban on Medvedchuk’s channels a struggle in the information war for truth and European values, as well as a step in the fight against Russian hybrid aggression. Why closing Medvedchuk’s channels is not an attack on freedom of speech, read in the Media Detector article.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Danilov stated that there are many anti-Ukrainian TV channels in Ukraine and the National Security and Defense Council will impose sanctions on them after receiving the relevant documents. The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov said that the materials provided to the SBU, which formed the basis of the decision of the National Security and Defense Council on sanctions, are quite sufficient and comprehensive. Dmytro Razumkov said that the special services did not provide additional information for review during the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council. Mr. Danilov clarified that some of the documents on the financing of TV channels are classified.
On February 4, Valentyn Koval, First Deputy Chairman of the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting, announced that providers in all regions of Ukraine had turned off 112 Ukraine, ZIK, and NewsOne, both on satellite and cable. The regulator monitors the implementation of the decision of the National Security and Defense Council, as this is the area of responsibility of the National Council. TV channels continue to broadcast on YouTube. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy previously announced that it would send a request to the company to block the pages of TV channels.
On February 5, 112 Ukraine, NewsOne, and ZIK reported that they could no longer use their own domain names. They are now available at the backup addresses zikua.tv, 112ua.tv and newsoneua.tv.
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