Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has continued his crackdown against dissent in the media by imposing a new set of restrictive measures against three companies that own opposition-aligned TV channels, it emerged on Tuesday.
The sanctions take aim at channels UkrLive and First Independent, both of which are believed by the Ukrainian authorities to be owned by Taras Kozak, an MP for the country’s largest opposition party, Opposition Platform – For Life.
The measures also hit the Novosti media holding company, the owner of channels 112 Ukraine, NewsOne, and ZIK. These stations were taken off air in February this year, having been blacklisted by Zelensky. All three channels are also owned by Kozak, who dubbed the move “an act of blatant censorship.” The president explained his decision by suggesting that Kiev was fighting “propaganda,” and linked the channels to Russia.