In case Ukraine authorities continue to neglect recommendations of international journalistic organizations, Ukrainian press freedom group Stop the Censorship will call on journalists across the country to take part in a mass strike, the Ukrainskaya Pravda paper reported on Sunday.
Journalists complained of deterioration in press freedom in the past six months under President Viktor Yanukovych.
Journalists asked international press freedom and human rights monitoring committees as well as monitoring groups from the PACE and OSCE to draw Yanukovych's attention to the "deteriorated situation with the press freedom across the country."
"We face systematic attempts to defeat freedom of press and media, attempts to monopolize the [Ukrainian] media scene, which are being taken by new Ukrainian authorities, a joint statement by the Ukrainian pro-opposition and pro-western television channels TVi, 5 Kanal and Tchornomorska said on Saturday.
The same day, the three channels organized a symbolic one-hour strike.
Some hundred journalists from the Stop the Censorship group took part in a march in Kiev to protest against censorship crackdown in Ukrainian media on June 6.
The Ukrainian opposition, led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has accused the authorities of infringing the freedom of expression and imposing media censorship.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said he would not allow any restrictions on freedom of expression in the country. He has pledged to "do all we can" to prevent pressure on the media and threatened that all such cases would "have legal consequences."
A number of international organizations have urged Kiev not to compromise democratic freedoms in the country.
KIEV, August 15 (RIA Novosti)
