The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) voiced alarm on Tuesday over a report that Ukrainian security services were investigating a popular news site for allegedly divulging state secrets.
The independent news website Ukrainska Pravda announced late last month it was being investigated over comments it reported by the head of the security services saying Ukraine needed peace talks soon.
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The election of US President of Donald Trump, who vowed to end the war quickly, has reinvigorated rhetoric within Washington, Kyiv, Europe and Moscow over a potential end to the costly war of attrition with Russia ahead of its third anniversary this month.
“CPJ is concerned about Ukraine’s opening of a criminal case for ‘disclosure of state secrets’ based on Ukrainska Pravda’s reporting,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia programme coordinator.
“Ukrainian authorities must commit to respecting the confidentiality of sources and refrain from putting pressure on independent journalism,” she added.
Ukrainska Pravda said the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had notified it about the criminal investigation after it reported comments made by the SBU head Kyrylo Budanov to parliament in a closed session.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, Budanov told the meeting the country needed peace talks before the summer to avert a crisis.
Ukraine is struggling on the battlefield against a better-resourced Russian army and is concerned about long-term security commitments from its allies.
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The editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda denied any wrongdoing and said the outlet always operates within the law and adheres to journalistic standards.
The case builds on an apparent long-running feud between Ukrainska Pravda and the president’s office, which has previously singled out the news outlet for its critical reporting of the government.
Freedom of the press is a sensitive issue in Ukraine, where authorities have made efforts to democratise since its pro-Russian government was overthrown in 2014.
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