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Press conference with President Zelenskyy (in April): Draft law ready for signature
Photo: John Moore/Getty Images
The Ukrainian parliament wants to give the country a new media law.
On Tuesday, the parliament voted 299 out of 331 votes in favor of a draft that is intended to replace the previous laws on television and radio, the press, international agencies and others.
The new law was justified, among other things, with the adaptation to the new technical possibilities of the internet age.
"With the adoption of the media law, the clause on the harmonization of national legislation in the audiovisual sector with European legislation will be implemented," announced the Broadcasting Council.
That was one of seven demands on Ukraine to obtain EU candidate status.
But the European journalists' association EJF, of all people, had already criticized the draft law in the summer.
In particular, the power of the media regulator was said to be excessive.
It would run counter to European values and so had "no place in the EU," said EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez.
Journalists criticized the expanded powers of the eight-member Broadcasting Council.
This can now not only impose fines, but can also have online media blocked for 30 days in the event of repeated rule violations without a court decision.
Permanent bans and license withdrawals are therefore only possible through court action.
However, the courts in Ukraine are not considered independent.
Half of the Council is determined by the President and half by Parliament.
On the occasion of the vote in the second reading, the Ukrainian journalists' association NSJU warned that the draft law would enable "the introduction of instruments of censorship and a significant restriction of freedom of speech in Ukraine".
Once passed by Parliament, the law was forwarded to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for signature.
Even before the Russian invasion in February, Zelenskyy had bypassed the legal process and had TV channels labeled as pro-Russian shut down and news sites blocked.
After the war began, Zelenskyy's opponent, ex-President Petro Poroshenko, restricted the distribution of news channels.
Ukraine ranks 106th out of 180 on the NGO Reporters Without Borders' list of press freedoms.
feb/dpa