Ukraine warned against passing defamation bill

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-warned-against-passing-defamation-bill-162446323--finance.html

By MARIA DANILOVA | Associated Press – 5 hrs ago

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — An international media watchdog urged Ukrainian lawmakers on Wednesday to reject a bill that would make defamation a crime, saying it could "threaten the very existence of independent journalism."

This week Ukraine's parliament, dominated by President Viktor Yanukovych's allies, tentatively approved a bill that would make defamation punishable by up to five years in prison, restoring a Soviet-era practice that Ukraine abolished 11 years ago.

Currently, alleged libel can only result in a civil lawsuit, and journalists who lose would just face fines.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said Wednesday that "such a return to the past would have a major impact on freedom of information in Ukraine." It said, "Journalists already have to confront many dangers and an increase in self-censorship inside news organizations."

The bill, which has yet to undergo a second reading, then be sent for approval to the president, has angered Ukrainian journalists, especially since it could affect their coverage of the nation's Oct. 28 parliamentary election.

Alexander Akymenko, an editor at Forbes Ukraine, suggested that all reporters could easily end up behind bars. "Now you need to have an already packed bag at home," Akymenko wrote on his Facebook page. "Just in case."

Serhiy Leshchenko, an investigative journalist with the online newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda, whose reports are strongly critical of Yanukovych, said he is worried that he could be the first victim of the new law.

Watchdogs and opposition leaders say freedom of speech has taken a beating since Yanukovych came to power two years ago. Most television channels, the main source of information for Ukrainians, are controlled by government-friendly magnates, and opposition voices are rarely heard there.

Earlier this month, Yanukovych drew widespread condemnation when his security guards roughed up several reporters staging a silent protest during an international media conference, as the president spoke about freedom and democracy from a stage just meters (yards) away.

Yanukovych's office called for the creation of a special working group to analyze the bill.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/ap-photographer-beaten-detained-belarus-162127416--finance.html?_esi=1

AP photographer beaten, detained in Belarus

Associated Press – Tue, Sep 18, 2012

MINSK, Belarus (AP) — An Associated Press photographer was beaten and briefly detained Tuesday by plainclothes security officers in the Belarusian capital.

Sergei Grits was among eight journalists covering a protest by four opposition activists calling for a boycott of this weekend's parliamentary election when plainclothes security officers attacked them in downtown Minsk.

Grits said one of the men grabbed him by the neck from behind while another punched him in the eye, breaking his glasses and leaving a gash. They then pushed the journalists into a van without license plates and drove them to a police station, where they were held for two hours before being released without charges or explanation, Grits said. Police tried to delete images from their cameras, but some managed to save them.

"Such violence by police against a journalist peacefully going about his work is unacceptable and must be protested in the strongest possible terms," said John Daniszewski, AP's senior managing editor for international news. "We demand that the Belarus authorities look into the matter and take appropriate actions against the individuals involved."

Minsk police spokesman Alexander Lastovsky said he could not comment on the incident.

Belarusian authorities have shown little tolerance for dissent and media freedom under President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation of 10 million people since 1994. The United States and the European Union have imposed economic and travel sanctions on Lukashenko's government over its crackdown on opposition groups and independent news media.

The opposition activists who participated in Tuesday's picket have remained in custody, according to Valentin Stefanovich of Vyasna rights group.

[1HappyGuy 45]

Unfortunately no real surprises here. We are seeing a return to Soviet era ways in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Just another sad day for the RUB.

[slim 1,514]

I'm constantly amazed that people ask for socialism.

[james&olya 1,121]

I'm constantly amazed that people ask for socialism.

What is even worse is when people mistake socialism for totalitarianism! That comes in both right-wing as well as left-wing versions. Many might argue it is a more natural political model to accompany the economic model of capitalism. Democracy should be the complementary political system for economic socialism. In practice a lot gets fcuked up with all systems!

[slim 1,514]

What is even worse is when people mistake socialism for totalitarianism! That comes in both right-wing as well as left-wing versions. Many might argue it is a more natural political model to accompany the economic model of capitalism. Democracy should be the complementary political system for economic socialism. In practice a lot gets fcuked up with all systems!

Can you remind me again of what that big red country was called, officially?

[james&olya 1,121]

Can you remind me again of what that big red country was called, officially?

And what was the name of their official newspaper? Names are sometimes not completely accurate!

[slim 1,514]

And what was the name of their official newspaper? Names are sometimes not completely accurate!

Who said anything about accuracy?

People are asking for socialism. I agree that in asking for socialism one does ask for totalitarianism but people rarely ask directly for totalitarianism. They'd rather have the kool-aid first.

[james&olya 1,121]

Who said anything about accuracy?

People are asking for socialism. I agree that in asking for socialism one does ask for totalitarianism but people rarely ask directly for totalitarianism. They'd rather have the kool-aid first.

My point is that the way politics works at present in the US is that the right wing party is the one that seeks to tell people what they are allowed to do with their bodies. That is a rather totalitarian sort of view of how far government can legitimately go! A purely capitalist mindset and system will eventually result in all power and wealth (they ALWAYS go hand in hand) concentrated in the hands of a very few. The USSR was far from a purely socialist economy. I would argue that both extremes are wrong. We have had for a long time a healthy blend of the two, as has western Europe!

[tmma 467]

..., as has western Europe!

I disagree.

IMO having lived in England- it's what I would call a socialist democracy over there. Govt in on everything, sky high taxes, entitlement reliance...list goes on and on. Not that it's a bad place, but nothing much like the US...but the US is getting close!

edit- and I wouldn't call anything about that 'healthy'.

Edited September 21, 2012 by tmma

[tmma 467]

Who said anything about accuracy?

People are asking for socialism. I agree that in asking for socialism one does ask for totalitarianism but people rarely ask directly for totalitarianism. They'd rather have the kool-aid first.

People seem to have no idea what they are asking for, I think.