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Ukraine’s 112 Ukraine and NewsOne owner charged with financing terrorism

He was questioned under three articles

KIEV, October 3. /TASS/. Parliamentarian Taras Kozak, the owner of the media holding that brings together the Ukrainian TV channels 112 Ukraine and NewsOne, has been accused of financing terrorism, 112 Ukraine reported on Thursday.

"News came on Thursday that he was suspected of terrorism and money laundering [accusation has been presented — TASS]," the TV channel said. Kozak himself told the media that he was questioned earlier on Thursday.

"I was questioned under three articles today. One article is ‘terrorism’, another one is ‘financing of terrorism’ and a third one is ‘money laundering’. It was news to me," Kozak said.

He added that the questioning had lasted about 40 minutes, and the questions had been prepared in advance. Kozak recalled he had been also asked about preparations for a Kiev-Moscow video linkup that had failed to take place.

Kozak claimed he regarded all accusations as evidence-free and would defend his position in courts. "We will fight. I think that the truth will be on our side. They won’t pressure us into silence," he went on to say.

"Of course, we will be fighting in a legal way. We will be appealing to all international organizations, reaching out to journalists across the globe," he stressed.

Kozak also commented on the voting in the parliament on Wednesday, which practically okayed further activity of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting in its present composition. "Yesterday’s voting in Verkhovna Rada shows that the ruling party Servant of the People together with the president are working against the opposition, against TV channels, against the Opposition Platform-For Life Party, as the council in charge of television and broadcasting was reappointed yesterday," the politician said.

Sanctions against 112 Ukraine

On September 26, Ukraine’s National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting stripped five TV companies from the 112 Ukraine holding of their national broadcasting licenses. To explain the move, the Council said that under the licenses, the TV companies should have operated as regional ones instead of rebroadcasting the nationwide 112 Ukraine channel. National Council member Oleg Chernysh said that 112 Ukraine would only be able to operate through cable, satellite and online.

The 112 Ukraine TV channel slammed the watchdog’s decision as wrongful and said it considered such moves as "hardline censorship that calls into question freedom of expression in Ukraine." According to the channel, its audience dropped by 40% following the license revocation.