Lviv Mayor Sadovyj gags press, Ratusha editor tells Verkhovna Rada

December02200921:02

Dec. 2, Verkhovna Rada hosted hearings on the freedom of the press in Ukraine. Journalists complain that the authorities deny information, meddle with editorial policy, exert administrative pressure on the press and harass journalists for their critical materials, especially in the provinces of Ukraine.

Journalists demanded that the prosecution launch investigation and report to VR on how it deals with the pressure exerted by the authorities on journalists.

Head of VR committee on the freedom of expression Hanna Herman said that, according to “Reporters Without Borders” international watchdog, Ukraine has joined the list of countries where the freedom of expression is questionable.

Herman ended her short address with the words of Vyacheslav Chornovil who liked to repeat that he didn’t believe in the independent media but he believed in independent journalists.

The first to speak at the VR hearings was Mykola Saveliev, the editor of the city-owned newspaper Ratusha. He told that Lviv Mayor Sadovyj is set to destroy his newspaper. Mayor Sadovy surrounded himself with relatives, cronies and business partners, and can do everything he chooses in Lviv – be it the press or land distribution.

Ratusha, which is owned by the city, had warned before Sadovyj was elected mayor that his election would be tragedy for the city. Unfortunately, we were right.

Having broken all his pre-election promises, Mayor Sadovyj surrounded himself with relatives, cronies and former business partners. Thus, one of his deputies is his relative, same as the Lviv council secretary. Lviv city executive council includes several former business partners, the city prosecutor is his class-mate while the city sheriff is his university mate. The mayor built up a network which allows him to rule arbitrarily in the city.

The city newspaper, Ratusha, remained among the few that never stopped to criticize the flagrant violations of the law done by the mayor.

The mayor did everything to close the newspaper, editor Saveliev continued. At first, Sadovyj tried to bribe him, offering to become his well-paid adviser in exchange for Ratusha closure. When I waved off his offer, Sadovyj tried to sack me by getting city council members to vote me out. As the then-council retained some independence, Sadovy failed on the first try.

The mayor resorted to illegal means, trying to muzzle the newspaper. When the plan to transform the newspaper into an ordinary information bulletin failed, Sadovyj tried to privatize it. He was stopped in this scheme by the newspaper staff who refused to sell their paper. Eventually, the mayor cut the funding, shut off gas, disconnected telephones and the Internet - in a brazenly illegal way!

We cut the number of pages and circulation, continuing to criticize Sadovyj and his buddies, the editor went on. In response, city officials ordered the publisher to stop his services, forcing us to find another publisher. Seeing his defeat, the mayor initiated unauthorized checks of the newspaper by tax inspectors who were unable to find any law violations.

As a final blow, the mayor cut the funding, but didn’t take any decision to close the newspaper.

On the one hand, the mayor of Lviv hates any criticism, believing the press should take his orders and be his puppet. On the other, he is reluctant to lose his appearance of a liberal and pro-European politician. For 5 months after he cut the funding the newspaper went to the press having barely enough money to pay the printers. We had to use our own cell-phones and ask friends to oblige us with the Internet connection.

When the journalists’ patience was running thin, editor Saveliev and 2 more journalists went on a hunger strike – right in Sadovyj’s office. The mayor could stand this for only 26 hours, and soon the city council confirmed our right to funding for the past months. The council set up an investigatory commission to find out who is to blame for our misfortunes. As you understand, the commission drew a blank.

“Who’s to blame for many months of humiliation of the newspaper staff by the authorities? Why didn’t the prosecution find any fault in not paying wages to journalists for 5 months? Nobody helped us, not a single person! It is so abominable,” Saveliev continued.

By that time, Mayor Sadovyj managed to woo unruly lawmakers by offering tax breaks and lucrative contract to business-related deputies. Now he thought he had the majority. And he tried once again to illegally muzzle the newspaper, by tabling a motion in the council to sack the newspaper’s editor.

Amazingly, the voting was 2 votes short of the required majority. Unabated, the mayor used blackmail, threatening to veto land allocation and calling another session late on the same day. This time, there were enough obedient lawmakers to rubberstamp Sadovyj’s plan – at 11.30 p.m.!

Suffering from a nervous breakdown, the editor had to check into a hospital for treatment. At the same time, he filed a lawsuit, protesting his dismissal. After one year’s litigation the court overturned the council’s illegal decision to sack Saveliev.

Meanwhile, the mayor launches a smear campaign, engaging in libelous accusations against the newspaper, threatening investigation by the police, accusing us of receiving our wages illegally under the table.

The newspaper again took the mayor to court – and won the case. However, Sadovyj refused to admit libel. Despite the fact that he was fined twice for refusing to retract his libel, the prosecution did not open a criminal investigation against Sadovy for failing to abide by the court ruling.

On the heels of exposing articles, the police opened a criminal case against one of Sadovyj’s deputies who lined his pockets with 2 million hryvnia on a contract to buy obsolete German streetcars for the city.

In another case, city officials demanded 40% kick-backs from companies eager to get road construction contracts. Before Sadovyj’s term, the kick-backs stood at 10-15%, experts say.

“Now, I have to ask you whether we need the freedom of expression when no one reacts to our investigations? All the facts of embezzlement by city officials were revealed by the press!,” Saveliev asked indignantly.

“I happen to know this mayor personally. And that is why I call on you not to trust any of his words and support Ratusha in our confrontation with Sadovyj,” Saveliev finally said.