Ukrainian Broadcaster Drops Oliver Stone’s Documentary After Threats to Staff & Grenade Attack

Corruption is Everywhere in Ukraine - Truth and free-speech be damned

Damage is seen on the facade of the building of Ukrainian 112 TV channel in Kiev, Ukraine. July 13, 2019.

© Reuters / Gleb Garanich

TV channel 112 Ukraine has canceled its planned broadcast of Oliver Stone’s documentary ‘Revealing Ukraine’ after its office was attacked with a grenade launcher, a protest was held outside and employees received threats.

On top of the attack, the channel says it’s been enduring censorship and threats ever since it announced plans to broadcast the documentary. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko lashed out at the channel, threatening it with prosecution should it air Stone’s film. The outlet’s editorial board was forced to recommend the broadcast be canceled.

“Taking into account these recommendations and the inability to fully protect the rights of journalists in the event of sanctions against the TV channel, the team of 112 Ukraine decided to cancel the film broadcast,” 112 Ukraine said on its website on Monday. 

The board said the decision was reached over increasing worries for the lives of the Channel’s journalists. It harshly criticized Ukraine’s authorities for their “extremely unsatisfactory” actions in defending the journalists and the fundamental right to freedom of speech in the country, warning it will ask international organizations for assistance if the situation does not change in the near future.

Earlier, 112 Ukraine had already pleaded with international press freedom watchdogs, the European Union and Ukraine’s law enforcement for protection, repeatedly claiming it had received threats from radical nationalists who oppose the сhannel’s editorial policy. Over the weekend, right-wing organizations staged a rally outside its headquarters, while some employees received personal messages with threats. On the night of July 13, the channel’s office was attacked by two unknown assailants with a grenade launcher. Nobody was hurt in the incident, although the blast caused damage inside the office. A criminal case was launched following the attack.

The film that has sparked the controversy is a documentary produced by Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone and directed by Ukrainian-American director Igor Lopatenok. It details the political crisis and armed conflict in Ukraine that broke out in 2014 and features an exclusive interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The film’s narrative doesn’t fit the one preferred by Kiev today and the decision to air the documentary faced harsh criticism.

‘Revealing Ukraine’ is to be shown in some 70 countries worldwide in the coming days.

But not in the country that needs to see it the most. The oligarchs are still in control.

Ukrainian Channel Attacked with Grenade Launcher Ahead of Broadcasting Oliver Stone’s Documentary

FILE PHOTO. A crate with RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenades. ©Sputnik / Igor Zarembo

The office of a Ukrainian TV (News) channel, which has been complaining about threats coming from nationalists over its editorial policy, was attacked overnight with a grenade launcher.

The building of 112 Ukraine was damaged on Friday night by a grenade apparently fired from a single-shot launcher. Two people reportedly drove by the premises, fired the explosive at the big logo of the channel on the building wall and fled the scene, leaving the used launcher tube behind.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, although the blast was strong enough to cause some damage inside, according to the channel. 

Kiev police said they were investigating the attack as a terrorist act, but are yet to make any arrests in the case or identify the motive behind it. The channel called on Ukrainian authorities to act and stop criminals attacking it and announced it will ramp up security at the office.

The outlet earlier asked for protection by international press freedom organizations, the European Union and Ukraine’s law enforcement, saying it received numerous threats from radical nationalists. The reported surge may have been triggered by the decision to air the documentary ‘Revealing Ukraine’ by Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone.

The film details the political crisis and armed conflict in Ukraine and features, among other things, exclusive interviews with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian politician Victor Medvedchuk, who has close ties with the owner of 112 Ukraine.

It fails to follow the narrative about the conflict preferred by the current government in Kiev, so the decision was harshly criticized in the country. Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko even threatened the channel with prosecution.

“I declare this: any attempts … to demonstrate the Russian propagandist film, which Medvedchuk’s channel is advertising, will result in punishment,” the top official said in a video address.

The actual owner of the channel, Taras Kozak, called the night grenade attack “the latest threat to independent media” and accused the Ukrainian authorities of dereliction of duty to protect journalists.

The documentary is scheduled to be aired next Tuesday.