27 December 2013
MEDIA RELEASE
Ukrainian World Congress response to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine comment
On 26 December 2013, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine posted the following comment on its site:
With respect to the media release of the Ukrainian World Congress regarding the attack on Ukrainian journalist T. Chornovol, as well as to other international commentaries on the subject, the MFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] of Ukraine points out that the President of Ukraine harshly denounced this violence, and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are conducting an investigation and immediately informing the public as to its progress and results.
The appeal from the UWC [Ukrainian World Congress] to governments of other countries to additionally condemn the beating of the journalist causes misunderstanding: because in Ukraine, as in all democratic countries of the world, any acts of violence against journalists are absolutely unacceptable. The leadership of the country, law enforcement agencies and the entire Ukrainian public are interested in the fastest possible investigation of this shameful incident and in the prevention of violence against representatives of the media in the future. [UWC translation]
“In response to the comment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regarding our media release the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) wishes to clarify that it called upon the international community to condemn gross human rights violations in Ukraine in order to incite Ukraine’s governing authorities to revert from an authoritarian to a more democratic form of government,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
This includes urging Ukraine’s governing authorities to: (a) punish those who ordered and carried out attacks on journalists and EuroMaidan supporters throughout Ukraine; (b) cease all physical force and psychological intimidation of EuroMaidan supporters; (c) end all forms of selective justice; and (d) make repeated public statements on the necessity to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including those of EuroMaidan participants.
