Dozens Rally In Czech Capital To Protest Ukraine's Crackdown On Opposition Media

Dozens Rally in Czech Capital to Protest Ukraine's Crackdown on Opposition Media

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th December, 2021) Around 150 Ukrainians living in the Czech Republic rallied outside their country's embassy in Prague on Tuesday to protest the closure of several opposition television channels back home.

Demonstrators lined the street in front of the diplomatic mission, holding up placards that read� "Ukrainian diaspora condemns the violations of the freedom of speech in Ukraine" and "Zelenskyy persecutes opposition and shuts down tv channels. Save freedom of speech.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an executive order in February to close and freeze assets of 112Ukraina, NewsOne and ZIK, as well as sanction their owner Taras Kozak, a member of the Opposition Platform's political bureau.

Journalists from the three channels founded a new one, called PNK.TV, but it was promptly taken off the air. The PNK.TV website reported on Tuesday that protesters wanted to hand a letter to the Ukrainian ambassador in Prague, but he did not come out.