At a glance
members working in this country
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Ukraine 2012 press freedom violations
The Institute of Mass Information has created a map highlighting press freedom violations related to the October 28 parliamentary election.
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Attacks on the Press in 2011: Ukraine
Government officials play down incidents of violence against journalists, claim most attacks "not work-related"
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Press Freedom Index 2011-2012: Ukraine
"Negative tendencies" towards suppression of freedom of expression follow Viktor Yanukovych’s installation as president
24 June 2004
Alert
Breakthrough in Gongadze case met with deep suspicion
(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 22 June 2004 CPJ press release:
UKRAINE: Breakthrough in Gongadze case met with deep suspicion
New York, June 22, 2004-Ukraine's prosecutor-general, Gennady Vasilev, announced yesterday that investigators are questioning a suspect who admitted to killing independent journalist Georgy Gongadze, local reports said. The citizen, identified only as K, is a convicted murderer already in prison for several other killings that involved decapitation, the manner in which Gongadze was killed four years ago, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The Prosecutor-General's Office stated that in addition to confessing to the murder, the suspect had described in detail the circumstances of Gongadze's death, particularly the decapitation.
The announcement was met by skepticism, however. A number of local opposition groups accused Ukrainian authorities of trying to avert public attention from a report published in the London-based Independent on Saturday, June 19, suggesting that President Leonid Kuchma impeded the investigation into Gongadze's murder.
The Independent said it had obtained classified documents supporting its allegations and also claimed to have the results of a secret autopsy performed on the corpse of a key witness, Igor Goncharov, who died in police custody in August 2003. Goncharov's body was cremated two days after his death, before an autopsy was allegedly performed. The Independent also said on Saturday that documents showed that an injection of a drug called Thiopental caused Goncharov's death.
Early yesterday, prosecutors stated that they have evidence that Goncharov died of injuries in prison last year. They said an inquiry into the abuse of authority by prison officers had been launched. However, they dismissed the Independent's allegations that Goncharov had been injected with Thiopental, the AFP said.
"The timing of this announcement, combined with President Kuchma's repeated interference in the investigation into Gongadze's murder, raises deep suspicions," said CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper. "We urge the prosecution to pursue every lead in the case and to investigate fully allegations involving President Kuchma."
Gongadze was the editor of news Web site Ukrainska Pravda (http://www.pravda.com.ua), which often featured critical articles about President Leonid Kuchma and other Ukrainian government officials. He disappeared in Kyiv in September of 2000, and his headless body was found in November of that year.
For more information on Gongadze's case, click on CPJ's 2000 killed list and scroll down to Ukraine - http://www.cpj.org/killed/Ten_Year_Killed/2000_list.html#gong.
CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information about press conditions in Ukraine, visit http://www.cpj.org.
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Updates to this story
Former intelligence chief alleged to have personally strangled Georgy Gongadze 19 April 2005 Prosecutor claims confessions in Gongadze case 8 April 2005- Most covered free expression issues in this country
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