"We call upon you, dear ambassadors of the G7 countries and EU Delegation, to pay attention to the pressure on our independent newspaper. We want to accent that we are absolutely open to any dialogue. We are ready to talk about all the details of the case … We emphasize that now we are fighting not only for the existence of our internet-newspaper, but also for the right to freedom of speech in Ukraine. If the authorities manage to destroy us, the pressure will sharply increase for all other Ukrainian media," the statement, published on the online newspaper’s official website, reads.
The statement added that the Ukrainian authorities are preparing new "fake" criminal cases against the paper and its Editor-in-Chief Igor Guzhva in order to close down the website, thus creating a precedent to further encroach on Ukrainian media.
In June, Guzhva was arrested over allegations of blackmailing Dmitry Linko, a member of the country’s Radical Party, for not disclosing materials that would compromise the party. On Saturday, a Ukrainian court ruled to keep Guzhva in custody for 60 days and on bail amounting to 544,000 Ukrainian hryvnias ($20,874). Guzhva has denied the charges and was later released after the bail was paid.
