Draft bill #11321 of June 5, 2024
Cosponsors: 19 MPs from the factions Holos, Servant of the People, and European Solidarity with Yaroslav Yurchyshyn as the first signatory
Status: sent for review to the Committee on Freedom of Speech
Who is affected: media, journalists, and media workers accredited by the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Summary:
- journalists and media workers accredited by the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other Defense Forces units will be allowed to move freely during curfew hours in territories where martial law is declared
- open parliamentary committee sessions will be posted on the Parliament’s website within 24 hours after the session ends
- media and journalists will not be held accountable for disseminating information if:
- it is a verbatim reproduction of public speeches or messages from state bodies, officials, or politicians and it does not distort the content of the message
- it is posted by users on social media, and the media promptly (within three days) removes the information following a complaint or a court ruling.
What is right: current laws only guarantee the work of journalists in combat zones. However, unrestricted movement without time constraints for accredited media in rear areas will promote a broader exercise of citizens’ rights to access publicly important information.
Why this is important: timely sharing of videos from open parliamentary committee sessions will balance security measures during martial law with democratic principles of transparency and openness of public information. It will make the work of the committees more transparent to the public.
Regarding liability for disseminating information, the proposed changes will protect journalists from fines or other penalties for disseminating false information if they merely quote official sources or quickly respond to complaints.
Additional information:
column by Oksana Zabolotna: Closed Rada: why the Parliament should return the proper level of transparency as soon as possible