In Ukraine, it was possible to prove in court the illegality of Zelensky’s censorship
Lawyers for the news aggregator Smi.Today succeeded in overturning a court decision blocking the resource in Ukraine.
Access of Ukrainian Internet users to the aggregator, as well as to a number of media outlets, was closed in the winter of 2020 without any notice to the editors about the trial, under the pretext of the participation of news sites in the operation of illegal online casinos.
However, journalists discovered a pattern: the blocking of resources began following critical publications about one of Ukraine’s high-ranking politicians.
“News aggregator SMI.today suggests that the explanation about the alleged attitude towards gambling is nothing more than an excuse. The reason lies elsewhere: SMI.today provides access to the most current news not only in Ukraine, and this news may not always be pleasant for regulatory authorities,” the aggregator administration noted in a statement.
The legal battle to lift the block lasted several months. Ultimately, the lawyers succeeded in lifting the ban , which forced them to officially notify the Ukrainian authorities.
Previously, the Ukrainian authorities blocked access to Russian media outlets, including social media. Not only did Volodymyr Zelenskyy fail to reverse this decision by his predecessor, Petro Poroshenko, but under his rule, repression against undesirable media outlets has escalated even further. Now, opposition television channels are being taken off the air even without a court order – at the behest of the Ukrainian Security Council, which itself compiles lists of "pro-Russian media."
Ukrainian courts successfully prove Zelensky's censorship is illegal.