NUJU Urges MPs To Withdraw Bill On Abolition Of Journalists’ Identity Documents

The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) and media organizations have called on lawmakers to withdraw a bill that provides for abolition of journalists' identity documents.

NUJU’s head Serhii Tomilenko announced this in a statement on Facebook, the Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"’Thank you’ to members of the parliament (especially members of the Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech) for strengthening solidarity among journalists. Journalism and media organizations are calling for the withdrawal of the bill that proposes to abolish the importance of journalists' identity documents (remove the relevant clause from the Criminal Code). Authoritative media lawyers and experts defending freedom of speech and the rights of journalists believe that bill No. 6443 will complicate the protection of employees of Ukrainian mass media," he wrote.

According to him, the mass media and journalism organizations have prepared a statement on bill No. 6443.

"The proposed text of the bill is a source of deep concern among the mass media and community of journalists because practical implementation of a number of the amendments may lead to a deterioration rather than an improvement of the situation despite the intentions of its authors, and this is dangerous under the current conditions," the statement said.

According to the statement, a journalist’s identity document is currently the only document that a journalist always carries with him and it is what allows a journalist to be identified.

"That is why exclusion of this provision will only complicate the protection of editorial staff, because the heads of editorial offices will face the issue of how to protect a journalist's identity when he is working at the sites of emergencies, rallies, and protests, as well as at nights and in other situations that require law enforcement officers to respond immediately in case of obstruction of the professional activities of journalists," the statement said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Tomilenko has said that members of the parliament have registered a bill that proposes weakening the protection of journalists and abolishing the importance of journalists' identity documents.