The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) warned on Wednesday that Ukraine’s new bill regulating media’s activity could pose a significant risk to freedom of expression.
The bill was presented by the Ukrainian government of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on January and has sparked an outcry from journalists, domestic NGOs and lawmakers.
It aims at curbing the spread of disinformation amid a conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the country’s industrial east, as Kremlin critics accuse Russia of propaganda and spreading fake news, in attempt to intervene in Ukraine’s affairs.
According to the legislation, purposeful false news concerning “national security, territorial integrity, sovereignty of Ukraine and other issues of public interest” will be treated as disinformation and could be punished by up to seven years in prison and hefty fines.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, during his four-day visit to the country, called on the Ukrainian authorities to “ensure that media activities are not obstructed and the internationally recognised principle of confidentiality of sources is respected”, according to a press statement issued by OSCE.
