SBU Searches 1+1 Office Over Alleged Eavesdropping on Honcharuk

The searches targeted the newsroom of the Secret Materials project.

Officers of the SBU are conducting a search in the building of the 1+1 TV channel at 18 Kurenivska Street in Kyiv. Secret Materials journalist Volodymyr Timofiychuk is livestreaming the events.

Journalists ask the SBU officers what exactly they are looking for. The officers reply: «-any recording devices, cameras, bugs».

They also presented a court order authorizing the search of journalist Kuksin's workplace. The order was issued by the Shevchenkivskyi District Court.

Ukrainian People's Deputy Oleksandr Dubinsky reported the search on Facebook. He said he was heading to the TV channel's office and invited journalists and other deputies to join him.

1+1 channel journalists keep asking one another whether anyone has called the police. The officers say they were not allowed into the office because of the searches. According to them, Honcharuk himself allegedly accused 1+1 journalists of planting eavesdropping equipment, which is why they were searched.

Dubinsky has already arrived at the office and said that everything happening is illegal.

Journalist Timofiychuk accuses the SBU officers of unworthy conduct and claims they are not even worthy of being shown journalist credentials. According to him, the SBU officers pushed journalists.

Lawyers for the channel were handed the court's permission for the search, which states that the decision was made «at a closed hearing».

An investigative and operational team from the National Police has arrived at the TV channel's office. Timofiychuk plans to file a complaint that physical force was used against him and his colleague, that they were not introduced, and that they were prevented from entering their workplace.

According to the court order, Kuksin is «asked to hand over on his own the sound-recording device» that he used to record Honcharuk. All channel staff were also warned that they must not disclose details of the pre-trial investigation «by any means».

SBU officers checked the computers of 1+1 journalists for «the presence of files that may be of interest to them» but found nothing.

Opposition Bloc People's Deputy Nestor Shufrych arrived at the building.

Searches are underway in the editing room, and SBU officers are demanding access to the computers on which programmes are edited before airing. Otherwise, they will «take the system units entirely».

The Security Service of Ukraine commented on Facebook on the searches being carried out at 18 Kurenivska Street in Kyiv.

According to the SBU press service, investigative actions carried out on the basis of a court decision are currently ongoing. Some individuals are also being checked for involvement in the illegal use of special technical means.

Ukrainian People's Deputy from the Opposition Bloc faction and chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech Nestor Shufrych said: «I have decided to urgently convene a meeting of the Committee on Freedom of Speech tomorrow. Why tomorrow? I cannot do it today. The rules of procedure forbid me from holding Committee meetings every day».

According to him, the Committee meeting will take place at 14:30. He has already invited representatives of the SBU, 1+1 and lawyers.

The 1+1 Media group issued a statement about the searches, which was published by TSN: «The reasons for what is happening are unknown to us. Notably, throughout the existence of independent Ukraine, this is the first search carried out at 1+1 Media. We can only assume that it is connected with the exposing work of the Groshi programme. Usually, the Groshi programme is a source of important information. We are outraged and concerned that in most cases there is no reaction to the violations exposed by the editorial team, while the journalists themselves have become hostages to their investigative work. 

In order not to give political forces the opportunity to use their resources to pressure media freedom, we appeal to the journalistic community to not leave this situation without attention, to give it maximum publicity, and to prevent encroachments on freedom of speech in Ukraine, which is directly linked to national security. Such «visits» to the Groshi programme's editorial office are a complete violation of journalistic inviolability and pressure on independent media».