26 June 2008

Alert

European parliamentarians call for justice for slain journalist Georgiy Gongadze


Incident details

Georgiy Gongadze

journalist(s)

killed
(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 24 June 2008 IFJ media release:

IFJ Welcomes European Parliamentarians' Call for Justice for Slain Ukrainian Journalist Gongadze

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed a renewed call by European parliamentarians for Ukraine to bring to justice "those who instigated and organised the murder of Georgiy Gongadze."

The call was made by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg who today expressed "deep concern" that Ukraine had made "no progress" in holding to account the organisers of the murder, which was most likely committed by interior ministry general Aleksei Pukach on 16 September 2000.

"We welcome the stand taken by the Parliamentary Assembly," said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "Today's resolution in Strasbourg is a clear condemnation of Ukraine's failure to investigate and bring to justice those in the political establishment who stand behind this murder, which constitutes the most notorious assault on freedom of speech in Ukraine."

Gongadze's headless body was found in a town near Kiev in November 2000. Then audio tapes made covertly by Major Mykola Melnychenko, a bodyguard of the then president, Leonid Kuchma, were released. On the tapes Kuchma and other senior politicians could be heard discussing harming Gongadze.

Three of Pukach's subordinates were this year convicted and jailed for their part in helping the murder. But the involvement of politicians and senior interior ministry officials has never been investigated.

The legal affairs committee in Strasbourg heard a report by former German justice minister Sabine Leutheuser-Schnarrenberger, who has monitored the Gongadze case, and called on the Ukrainian authorities to take a series of measures including:

- To open a criminal investigation into those who failed to protect Gongadze - who before his death complained to the prosecutor's office about surveillance by interior ministry officers;
- To investigate the release of Pukach from custody in 2003 and his subsequent disappearance, and open criminal cases against those responsible;
- To authenticate "without further delay" the so-called "Melnychenko tapes" made in president Kuchma's office, to allow them to be used as evidence in court "without further delay";
- To investigate other related issues, including the organisation of the attack on journalist Olexiy Podolsky a few months before Gongadze's death, and the strokes suffered by senior interior ministry officials Fere and Dagaev in 2003.

A lengthy report by Leutheuser-Schnarrenberger detailed her efforts to convince Melnychenko, the Ukrainian prosecutor and the US justice department to work together to authenticate the tape recordings made in Kuchma's office. The prosecutor had "taken several years before making the required official request," she complained.

"The report by Mrs Leutheuser-Schnarrenberger makes depressing reading," White said. "She has done her best to compel the Ukrainian prosecutor to work effectively in this case, as the IFJ and campaigning organisations have also done. The international community must make clear to Ukraine that inaction will not be tolerated. This is the clearest case of an attack on freedom of speech being undertaken with impunity."

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 122 countries worldwide.

Updates the Gongadze case: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/91729



Source:

International Federation of Journalists
International Press Centre, Residence Palace
Bloc C, second floor, Rue de la Loi, 155
1040 Brussels
Belgium
Phone: +32 2 2352207
Fax: +32 2 2352219
 

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More on this case

Former president must be prosecuted in Gongadze murder, says CPJ 15 December 2011 Gongadze murder suspect admits to killing, names former president Kuchma as conspirator 1 September 2011 Trial of Gongadze murder suspect should be open to public, says CPJ 17 August 2011 Former president indicted in journalist's murder 25 March 2011 CPJ concerned by irregularities in Gongadze case 2 March 2011 Joint statement on the 10th anniversary of journalist Gyorgy Gongadze's death 20 September 2010 IFJ, IMI renew call for action in investigation into Gongadze murder 18 September 2009 Ukraine must seize opportunity of confessions to reporter's murder to reveal truth, says IFJ 27 July 2009 Resolution calls for further action to prosecute former officials who may have been behind journalist Giorgiy Gongadze's killing 30 January 2009 Three former policemen convicted of murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze 17 March 2008 IFJ demands withdrawal of award to judge who closed case against prime suspect in Gongadze murder 19 December 2007 IFJ calls on president to withdraw honour for prosecutor in charge of failed investigation of journalist's death 27 March 2007 Former president questioned in Gongadze murder investigation, two Interior Ministry officers charged 14 March 2005 DNA test confirms body is that of disappeared journalist Georgiy Gongadze 12 March 2003 CPJ marks second anniversary of journalist's disappearance 16 September 2002 Deputy prosecutor general makes misleading statement in attempt to delay launch of international commission of inquiry into journalist Georgiy Gongadze's disappearance and murder 30 January 2002 Council of Europe supports creation of independent commission of inquiry in Gongadze case 28 September 2001 CPJ supports call for international inquiry on anniversary of journalist's disappearance 19 September 2001 One year of impunity for journalist Georgy Gongadze's killers 13 September 2001 Authorities compel murdered journalist Georgiy Gongadze's mother to bury his body 5 June 2001 Authorities "shed light on" journalist Georgiy Gongadze's assassination 16 May 2001 License of radio station that rebroadcasts BBC revoked ten days before vote on the exclusion of Ukraine from the Council of Europe 17 April 2001 RSF urges new interior minister to put a stop to the violence against journalists 26 March 2001 RSF calls for a full investigation into the Ministry of the Interior to uncover those responsible for journalist Georgiy Gongadze's murder 22 March 2001 RSF asks FBI team in Kiev for new autopsy on body of murdered journalist Georgy Gongadze 16 March 2001 Legal authorities acknowledge that journalist Georgiy Gongadze was murdered 28 February 2001 RSF asks to take part in international inquiry into case of missing journalist Georgiy Gongadze 22 December 2000 RSF denounces serious press freedom situation 20 December 2000 CPJ calls for independent investigation into Gongadze disappearance 15 December 2000 IFJ deeply concerned by recent discovery of possible remains of journalist Georgy Gongadze 29 November 2000 Decapitated corpse found, could be that of journalist missing since September 28 November 2000 CPJ concerned about journalist's disappearance 26 September 2000 Editor missing 20 September 2000

Ukraine

Editor reported missing in Lvov region 29 March 2012 Court decision threatens future of country's largest newspaper 10 February 2012 Former president must be prosecuted in Gongadze murder, says CPJ 15 December 2011 Newspaper photographer murdered in Kiev 1 December 2011 Opposition TV channel disappears from the airwaves 26 October 2011 See all alerts: Ukraine


 
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