IFJ Demands Withdrawal of Award to Judge Who Closed Case against Prime Suspect in Gongadze Murder

YOU ARE HERE: Home » All Entries, Press Releases & Statements » IFJ Demands Withdrawal of Award to Judge Who Closed Case against Prime Suspect in Gongadze Murder

PUBLISHED ON December 20, 2007 AT 10:29 AM

‘Solved’ my ass

Palace assures protection of human rights, civil liberties as terror law takes effect

In a letter to Ukraine President Yushenko, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the awarding last week of the title “Lawyer of Honour of Ukraine” to Maria Prindiuk.

In April 2004 Judge Prindiuk closed the case against General Olexiy Pukach for destroying documents related to the case of Gyorgy Gongadze, the journalist murdered in September 2000. This action helped General Pukach, the prime suspect in Gongadze’s murder, to evade justice.

“This award represents a signal of support by your administration for officials who, whether deliberately or by their gross negligence, have allowed the organisers of Gongadze’s murder to go unpunished,” wrote Aidan White. “In this respect your administration is affording impunity to those organisers of the crime.”

The Presidential administration announced the award on 14 December. The award to Judge Prindiuk – like the medal awarded to former general prosecutor Mikhail Potebenko, who failed to take action when Gongadze approached him for help, and then woefully failed to investigate his murder – amounts to a reward for obstructing justice in this vital case.

The letter was supported by Gongadze’s widow, Myroslava Gongadze, the Institute of Mass Information, the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine and the National Union of Journalists of the UK and Ireland.

The IFJ urges President Yushenko to revoke the title conferred upon Judge Prindiuk and to hold to account all those who have obstructed the successful investigation of the Gongadze case.

For further information contact: +32 2 235 22 00

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide

IMPORTANT NOTICE: INBOX is an archive of press releases, statements, announcements, letters to the editors, and manifestos sent to PinoyPress for publication. Please email your materials to pinoypress @ gmail.com. PinoyPress is not responsible for the content of these materials. The opinion expessed in these items does not reflect those of PinoyPress and its staff. Please refer to our terms of use/disclaimer.

RSS feed • Subscribe via email • Discuss

TAGS

THE NEWS IN PICTURES

Displaced. Residents of North Cotabato have been the ones badly affected by the military offensives launched against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. "As the government continues to indiscriminately drop bombs on Moro and Christian villages in Aleosan and Pikit, more and more civilians are displaced," said Kawagib, a Moro human-rights group.(Photo: Suara Bangsamoro/arkibongbayan.org)

In One Roof. Villagers who fled their homes after the clashes last week between government troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the south brought every human life with them, including their farm animals. They now live under one roof at an evacuation center in Pikit, North Cotabato. (Photo: Bong Sarmiento / Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project)

Emergency. A scene from "Ambulancia," a short film that tells of a painful twist in an ambulance driver's belief that a dying patient can be saved by running over stray animals on the streets. The award-winning film will be screened at the so-called "Woodstock of short films" in Germany. Richard Legaspi directed the film and it stars Alan Paule and Nor Domingo. (Contributed photo)

Sendoff. The Philippine Army dispatched today, Aug. 10, the 68th Infantry Battalion to Maguindanao. This battalion, together with the 46th Infantry Battalion from Samar, will augment the troops in Central Mindanao for the security operations that will be conducted to ensure peaceful elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao tomorrow. (Photo: Philippine Army)

Killings Denounced. Mindanao journalists gathered in General Santos City on Friday to denounce the recent attacks on their colleagues. On Monday, Dennis Cuesta, a Radio Mindanao Network commentator in General Santos, was shot and is fighting for his life. On Thursday, another RMN broadcaster, Martin Roxas of Capiz City, was shot dead. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

If This Wall Could Talk. With the pleasant scenery as a backdrop (and a constant reminder, perhaps, of a life they could have had), this poor family try to survive by actually living by the sidewalk outside the Chinese school in Davao City. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Undaunted. Activists from Anakbayan scuffle with the police as the Chevrolet Suburban carrying President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo passes by the junction before the newly built Bankerohan bridge in Davao City last week. The president was in the city for the declaration of the merger of Lakas-CMD and Kampi parties. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Freedom Denied. Lex Adonis, a former broadcaster of Bombo Radyo in Davao City, inside the Davao Penal Colony, where he was jailed after House Speaker Prospero Nograles sued him for libel over a story involving the Davao congressman's alleged sexual relations with a woman other than his wife. Despite a court order, Adonis remains in jail. (File photo by davaotoday.com)

Tribute to Ka Bel. Activists, artists, friends and supporters troop to the Philippine Independent Church on Taft Avenue Monday night to honor AnakPawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, who died last week. Beltran will be buried in Bulacan today, after a ceremony honoring him at the House of Representatives, where he served for several terms as party-list congressman. (Photo by Ayi Muallam/pinoypress.net)

Rare Sight. Moro women students of a madrasah play volleyball during a break in barangay Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, last week. While Filipina Moros are considered relatively open in their lifestyle compared to Muslim women in other countries, scenes like this are not very common in Moro areas in Mindanao. (Photo by Keith Bacongco/AKP Images)

Ka Bel's Fight. An activist mourns the death of AnakPawis Rep. Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran, who died Tuesday. Ka Bel's remains lie in state at the IFI Cathedral in Manila. His colleagues, family and friends have lined up a series of tributes. Click here for the schedules, as well as statements and poems honoring Ka Bel. (Photo by courtesy of arkibongbayan)

Displaced. Lumad families from Compostela and Monkayo towns, in Compostela Valley Province, seek refuge in Davao City after being displaced by intense counter-insurgency operations by the military in their communities this month. The 210 evacuees, of which 83 are children, are now staying inside a gym. The number of evacuees is expected to rise, according to NGOs. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan)

Mangled and Mutilated. Rey Cayago, an activist who previously worked for the migrant group Migrante, has been found dead, his head cut off, his face and body mangled. Family and friends denounced the military for the atrocity; the armed forces had alleged that Cayago was a communist guerrilla who was killed in a firefight in the Cordilleras. But human-rights groups contend that even if Cayago were a rebel, what happened to him was "inexcusable" and a "blatant violation of the protocols of war." Click here for the story. (Photo courtesy of Bulatlat)

IFJ Demands Withdrawal of Award to Judge Who Closed Case against Prime Suspect in Gongadze Murder

Leave a Comment