1 September 2011

Alert

Gongadze murder suspect admits to killing, names former president Kuchma as conspirator


(CPJ/IFEX) - New York, August 31, 2011 - A former general with the Ukrainian Interior Ministry testified in a Kyiv court on Tuesday that he killed journalist Georgy Gongadze in 2000 in a plot orchestrated by former President Leonid Kuchma and other top officials, according to news reports and CPJ interviews.

Former Gen. Aleksei Pukach is being tried on charges he strangled and beheaded Gongadze, a prominent investigative reporter and editor of the online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda. Pukach's trial, which began July 7, has been conducted in private. News accounts of the proceedings are based on interviews with lawyers for the Gongadze family who were allowed to attend.

Pukach testified that Kuchma was among several senior officials who plotted the killing, with the direct order issued by now-deceased Interior Minister Yuri Kravchenko, Myroslava Gongadze, the journalist's widow, told CPJ. Myroslava Gongadze was briefed on the proceedings by her lawyer. In his testimony, Pukach also implicated Vladimir Litvin, former head of Kuchma's administration and now parliament speaker, and Kravchenko's two deputies, Nikolai Dzhiga and the late Eduard Fere, the independent news website Gazeta reported.

Kuchma and Dzhiga denied involvement, saying Pukach fabricated the account to win leniency in court and avoid a potential life sentence, local press reports said. Litvin did not immediately respond to the accusation.

Authorities indicted Kuchma in March on abuse-of-office charges in connection with the slaying, a case that remains pending. Myroslava Gongadze told CPJ that prosecutors should now open investigations into the alleged roles of Dzhiga, Litvin, and Fere. Authorities have already publicly identified Kravencko as a conspirator. In 2005, Kravchenko was found dead in his apartment just hours before his scheduled questioning in the Gongadze case. Although Kravchenko suffered two gunshot wounds to the head, authorities said he had committed suicide.

Prior to his murder, Gongadze had reported extensively on allegations of corruption and vote-rigging in the Kuchma administration. CPJ's worldwide research shows that Gongadze was the first journalist whose work appeared primarily online to be slain for his reporting.

The panel of judges presiding in Kyiv's Pechersky District Court have closed the proceedings and sealed the indictment against Pukach on grounds of protecting state secrets. The court did not explain why the entire proceedings, rather than portions, merited sealing, Valentina Telychenko, lawyer for Myroslava Gongadze, told CPJ. The court has denied three requests by Telychenko to open the trial to the public.

In an interview with CPJ today, Myroslava Gongadze again called for the unsealing of the indictment and proceedings. "By sealing the trial on allegations of state secrets' protection, the court violates my plaintiff rights," she told CPJ.

"It is outrageous that the public cannot follow proceedings in a trial that could determine the future of press freedom in Ukraine. The hearing must be open to all," CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney said. "The authorities must also follow up on the accused's testimony and find and prosecute all those, no matter how powerful and well-connected they are, who plotted the murder of Georgy Gongadze."

Source:

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 7th Ave., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
USA
info (@) cpj.org
Phone: +1 212 465 1004
Fax: +1 212 465 9568
 

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More on this case

Former president must be prosecuted in Gongadze murder, says CPJ 15 December 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 European parliamentarians call for justice for slain journalist Georgiy Gongadze 26 June 2008 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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