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The Statement of the European Party of Ukraine on the murder of Pavlo Sheremet

20/07/2016 14:38

Today, on the 20th of July, a tragic event happened. A well-known independent Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Sheremet was murdered. We consider the killing as a terrorist attack against free journalism, against democracy, and freedom of speech in Ukraine. The same cynical manner of the murder of Pavlo Sheremet can be comparable to the killing of Boris Nemtsov in Russia.

Sheremet was not a pro-government journalist and had always told the truth, which was not always pleasant for the government or those, who were related to incriminating materials. His death is another precaution for free journalism. Now, in this country telling the truth becomes dangerous. From this point, all journalists who do not cooperate with the authorities will be forced to have bodyguards, in order not to protect themselves.

The European Party of Ukraine urges the authorities and law enforcement agencies not only to investigate this case and bring the perpetrators to justice. The government must radically change the principles and approaches to security in the country and move from unconfirmed statements to implementing reforms in action. Behind a good curtain of the reform of the law enforcement agencies, there are no security guarantees to the public.

We, as a pro-European political party, which is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, insist that the issues on the freedom of speech and the murder of journalists in Ukraine must become one of the main agendas in the European Parliament this autumn.

The Leader of the European Party of Ukraine Mykola Katerynchuk