Human Rights Watch demands Poroshenko lift block on Russian websites

Human Rights Watch has issued a statement requesting that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko immediately rescind Tuesday’s decree blocking access to numerous Russian websites, amongst them Yandex, Mail.Ru, Odnoklassniki, and RBK, on Ukrainian territory. The international human rights organization also requested that the Ukrainian president take steps to protect freedom of speech and information in his country.

The activists also emphasized that Ukraine is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Both agreements dictate that any restrictions on freedom of speech and access to information can only be introduced if they are necessary, proportionate, and legitimate. The ban on the Russian websites, maintains Human Rights Watch, does not meet these criteria.

“Oksana Romaniuk, executive director of Kyiv-based Institute of Mass Information, told Human Rights Watch that the government had not provided a valid justification for why such a broad ban on online companies was necessary. She also insisted that the decree would be hard to enforce without changing the law. Currently, only a court can order internet service providers to take action against a website,” read the statement from Human Rights Watch.

On May 16, Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko signed a decree expanding the country’s list of Russian citizens and companies subject to sanctions. Amongst other things, the decree provides for blocking access to numerous Russian social networking, news, and online services websites on Ukrainian territory, including Yandex, VK, and Odnoklassniki. The websites of many Russian television channels and of newspaper RBK have suffered, as well.

The decree came into force from the moment of its official publication on May 17.