Gongadze case: Open letter to the prosecutor-general

Reporters Without Borders has joined with several other journalists' union and press freedom organisations to urge the general prosecutor of Ukraine to allow civil society monitoring of a new expert examination of the "Melnichenko tapes". These recordings, which were apparently made in the office of President Kutchma by former police officer Mykola Melnichenko, appeared to implicate the highest authorities in the land in the murder of Gongadze, editor-in-chief of the online newspaper pravda.com, whose decapitated body was found on 2 November 2000. _______________ To Gennady Vasiliev, General Prosecutor of Ukraine Kyiv, Ukraine 6 February 2004 Dear Mr Vasiliev, We, representatives of National Union of Journalists, Institute of Mass information, Reporters Without Borders, International Federation of Journalists and Article 19, write concerning the decision by the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers (no. 825 of 30 December 2003) to provide funds for an expert examination of the so-called "Melnichenko tapes". As organization representing large number of European journalists and/or campaigning on media freedom issues across Europe, we have all followed closely the case of Gyorgy Gongadze, and the various investigations related to it. Along with the Ukrainian government, the Council of Europe and the European Commission, we regard the case as a touchstone for media freedom in Europe and for the future development of Ukrainian-European relationships. We are sure that you share this concern, and share our hopes of bringing the investigation into the case to a successful conclusion. Clearly the "Melnichenko tapes" are an important element in ensuring that justice is done in the Gongadze case, and it has concerned all of us that no clear position has been reached by the Ukrainian authorities about the tapes. We therefore welcome the proposal of a new expert examination. Furthermore, we believe it is vital that provision is made for civil society monitoring of the expert examination. We ask you to invite representatives of civil society, and representatives of the journalistic profession, both Ukrainian and European, to carry out this monitoring. Too much is at stake - for Ukraine, for Europe, for media freedom - for this examination to be carried out with anything less than complete transparency. We look forward to your response. Yours sincerely, Jeremy Dear, National Union of Journalists of UK and Ireland Alla Lazareva, Institute of Mass Information Robert Menard, Reporters Without Borders Aidan White, International Federation of Journalists Federica Prina, Article 19