Since war-start, freedom of speech situation in Ukraine improves - Committee chair

A study by international media experts showed a significant improvement in the situation of freedom of speech in Ukraine against the pre-war year 2021.

This was reported by MP Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, head of the Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech, who spoke in an interview with Ukrinform.

"The level of freedom of speech in Ukraine could not remain unchanged amid martial law," he noted.

According to the people's deputy, war always narrows the information field, implying greater control by the government "because we cannot allow the enemy to penetrate our information space."

Yurchyshyn noted that the second year into the full-scale invasion and tenth into the start of war with Russia, it is not the lack of freedom of speech that is being discussed, but its range, which he believes is a good indicator.

"When international media experts measured freedom of speech in Ukraine, surprisingly, even compared to 2021, the results showed an increase in the level of freedom of speech," the lawmaker said.

He emphasized that such data offer a response to criticism alleging that everything was censored in Ukraine amid the ongoing war.

"Ukraine shows positive dynamics in this regard. As a historian, I can’t name many examples demonstrating a similar approach," the chairman of the parliamentary committee concluded.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Yaroslav Yurchyshyn chairman of the Committee on Freedom of Speech.