Ukraine Closes Opposition Newspaper
Intercon's Daily January 30, 1998 p.3-4

Pravda Ukrainy newspaper has been suspended from publishing its oppostion supported news by Ukraine's Information Ministry. The newspaper is widely linked to former Prime Minister Pavlo LAZARENKO who was ousted by Presidend Leonid KUCHMA last July. Information Minister Zynoviy KULYK denied the suspension was politically motivated. Rather, KULYK points to a registration technicality. He added that the Justice Ministry and Prosecutor General's office ruled that the newspaper was illegally registered. "They found a partner in remote Antigua, but failed to check the documents saying the share capital is 110 percent, not 100."

First deputy editor-in-chief of Pravda Ukrainy Volodimir Malakhov said, "This is absolutely an artificial problem. The ministry has in a brutal way violated the law on media, which said only a court order or publication's personnel can close a newspaper." Pravda Ukrainy will file a case against the Information Ministry.