3 September 2002

Demonstrate for press freedom

Monday 16 September
in memory of our murdered colleague Gyorgy Gongadze

On Monday 16 September, a delegation headed by Jeremy Dear, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists of UK and Ireland, will visit the Ukrainian embassy to protest at the slow progress of inquiries into the death of our Ukrainian colleague, Gyorgy Gongadze. We will be urging the Ukrainian charge d'affaires to relay to his government our demand for an independent international inquiry into the death of Gongadze.

We will meet at 10.30 am on Monday 16 September outside the Ukrainian embassy at 60 Holland Park, London W11 (near Holland Park and Shepherds Bush underground stations). All supporters of our campaign, of our Ukrainian colleagues' fight for press freedom, are welcome to join us.

Gyorgy Gongadze, an investigative reporter who made enemies among the rich and powerful, disappeared on 15 September 2000. His headless body was found subsequently at Tarashcha outside Kiev. Later on, evidence came to light - mainly on audio tapes publicised by a former presidential bodyguard who fled Ukraine - that Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma and other senior officials had conspired to harm Gongadze. The NUJ, together with Ukrainian journalists, European parliamentarians and press freedom campaign groups, is demanding an international inquiry into the case.

• For more information contact the NUJ on 020 7278 7916 or lisar@nuj.org.uk.
• Background information on the campaign