According to law “On media”, no Ukrainian media can be blocked or deprived of its license without court decision — Poturaiev

The law “On media,” which was supported by 299 MPs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine during a vote on Tuesday, provides for a more flexible system of sanctions against media for their violations. Mykyta Poturaiev, Chair of the Humanitarian and Information Policy Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine made this statement at a briefing at Media Center Ukraine — Ukrinform.

“We may be accused of softening the sanctions system, but this is not entirely true. We made it more flexible and understandable. What sanctions have been established in Ukraine as of today? These are the so-called warnings, then a fine, and then license revocation. We believe that this is a sufficiently rigid system,” — Poturaiev explained.

The Chair of Rada’s Committee noted that the new law introduced so-called precepts, which are not sanctions.

“We have introduced precepts, these are informing mechanisms. When sending a precept, the National Council informs the media that there is a violation and this is a request to correct it. These precepts are not recorded in the personal file. If enough of them are collected, the National Council moves to warnings, which are (classified as) a sanction and are recorded in the personal file. Then, if the media gets a lot of warnings, fines begin. If fines accumulate, then there is talk of sanctions in the form of license or registration revocation. I want to point out, as there have been many false speculations, that no Ukrainian media can be blocked or deprived of its license without a court decision. That is, the regulator is obliged to go to court,” — Poturaiev explained.

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