Ukraine's Security Service to investigate who bugged and monitored Bihus.Info staff
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has announced that it is investigating the circumstances of the illegal bugging and filming of representatives of the investigative journalism project Bihus.Info.
Source: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine
Quote: "A criminal investigation has been opened under Article 359 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal acquisition, sale or use of special technical devices for obtaining information).
The Security Service of Ukraine believes that transparent and unimpeded work of independent and professional media is an important condition for the development of Ukraine as a democratic state."
Details: The SSU stressed that "instances of surveillance such as this should be given a legal assessment, regardless of whether or not the covertly filmed material revealed possible drugs-related violations of the law."
The SSU added that this can only be assessed by law enforcement agencies in accordance with their jurisdiction.
Background:
On 16 January, a video was leaked online showing employees of the Bihus.Info investigative project apparently using drugs. The project's head, Denys Bihus, recorded a video message giving explanations and stated that everyone who works with Bihus.Info would take drug tests.
Later, Bihus said that after talking to the people involved in the video, it transpired that members of the Bihus.Info editorial team had been under surveillance for about a year, and that fragments of intercepted conversations had been edited together from several episodes that were months apart.
The Ukrainian Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech has promised to formulate a request to the Security Service of Ukraine to investigate who was involved in the surveillance of Bihus.Info journalists.
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