(Deutsche Welle) To hold on to power, the leadership in Kyiv is significantly curtailing civil liberties. Oleksandr Sushko, the Ukrainian coordinator for EU cooperation on civic rights, told DW he is outraged at the new laws.
The extensive legislative package the Ukrainian Parliament passed on Thursday (16.01.2014) came as a complete surprise. The laws were waved through without any consultation with advisory boards and after just a single parliamentary reading. The government majority carried out the vote by a show of hands in the parliament and all protest from the opposition was in vain.
The new law is supposed to make it punishable to spread "defamations" – especially online: The legislation could silence journalists and bloggers if they criticize state officials or politicians. The right to peaceful protests will also be curbed. There might also soon be a Ukrainian equivalent to the recent controversial Russian law which labels non-governmental organizations as "foreign agents" if they receive funding for their projects from outside the country. The legislative package will come into law as soon as the president has signed it. […]
Read the full interview | © Deutsche Welle
