SBU investigates circumstances of possible phone-tapping of Ukrainska Pravda journalists
KYIV. Dec 12 (Interfax) - The Main Investigations Department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is conducting a pre-trial investigation into the facts of alleged phone-tapping of journalists of the Internet publication Ukrainska Pravda, SBU spokesperson Olena Hitlyanska said.
"A pre-trial investigation is being conducted into the facts of phone-tapping of Ukrainska Pravda journalists; urgent investigative actions aimed at determining the possible methods that unidentified persons probably used to receive confidential information on the work of Ukrainska Pravda journalists are being taken within the framework of the criminal proceedings based on Part 2 of Article 163 and Part 2 of Article 359 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code," Hitlyanska told Interfax on Monday.
"Information on unauthorized phone-tapping of staff members' phones, their offices, and also tampering with the publication's computer equipment is being probed," Hitlyanska said.
Hitlyanska said investigators are also investigating the possible involvement in these facts of law enforcement officials and state establishments.
According to earlier reports, Ukrainska Pravda journalists demanded that the president and law enforcement officials explain why the phones of the paper's staff were tapped in the course of the year, which was stated in the article entitled 'Ears of the Authorities. How Surveillance over the Work of Ukrainska Pravda Is Conducted', which was posted on the paper's website.
The article stated that the paper's editorial office had received investigators' reports on the paper's staff members' phone conversations and conversations conducted via Internet messengers for the period beginning October 2015. The reports contained information on the journalists' intentions and plans and on materials prepared for publication.
