Yulia Tymoshenko bloc is indignant with the resumption of political censorship in Ukrainian mass-media initiated by “crisis coalition” and illustrated by closing of "Toloka" program on "The First National" TV channel after the participation of opposition leaders Yulia Tymoshenko and Vyacheslav Kyrylenko.

This information is given in BYUT statement promulgated on Tuesday, March, 20.

"Yesterday, on March, 19, the National TV Company of Ukraine broadcasted “Toloka” program with participation of joint opposition leaders Yulia Tymoshenko and Vyacheslav Kyrylenko. This program being one of the most popular on UT-1, on that day got three times increased rating over the usual", - the statement certifies.

At the same time, the statement notes that “TV channel management roughly censored the program”. "When it turned out that most SMS messages supported Yulia Tymoshenko, their broadcast was cut. Meanwhile, when interactive poll of the audience showed that over 80% supported opposition, the results were taken off the broadcast at all".

"Today, on March, 20, NTKU president Vitaly Dokalenko personally cut out of the broadcast the traditional morning repetition of the program, which was shown in live broadcast the day before on 21:55", - authors of the statement add.

"Initiators and executors of freedom of speech elimination in Ukraine reached absolute absurdity, when management of “The First National TV channel" decided to close the program", - they add.

Yulia Tymoshenko bloc notes that with repressions applied to “Toloka” program the next reprisal over freedom of speech as the determining sign of freedom and democracy started. "We are convinced, that today Yanukovych-Moroz power is panicky afraid of the unifying processes in the opposition and strengthening of the democratic forces support; this power gets back to kuchma’s methods of humiliation the human right to get unbiased information, and consciously drives to the information reservation the truth about deep crisis, in which Ukraine was brought by “crisis coalition”, - the statement underlines.

Yulia Tymoshenko bloc stresses that censorship is forbidden by the article 15 of the Ukrainian Constitution, and hindering legal activity of journalists is considered a criminal offence. BYUT marks also, that those responsible for pressure applied to journalists and for censorship implementation will obligatory answer before the law.

Yulia Tymoshenko bloc appeals to the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, as a guarantor of Constitution observance, to oust immediately Vitaly Dokalenko from the position of NTKU president.

"We call for all journalists of Ukraine to show professional solidarity and defend “Tololka” program journalists’ team; to remonstrate against the facts of censorship in Ukrainian mass-media. We also address to Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe with a request to give the proper assessment to antidemocratic processes launched by Ukrainian government and “crisis” coalition”, - the statement says.

To see photos from the broadcast go to photo album.

Translated by tymoshenko.com.ua