At the meeting of the Conciliation Council of factions and committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, they discussed the issue of inviting the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, in connection with the detected illegal surveillance of the employees of the "Bihus.Info" project. However, a decision has not yet been made regarding the specific date of the hearing, as the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, reported in his Telegram channel.
"The conciliation council of factions and committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considered the proposal of the deputy leader of the Voice faction, Yulia Klymenko, regarding the invitation of the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, in connection with the alleged illegal surveillance of the employees of the 'Bihus.Info' project," the message states.
However, the decision on the specific date of the reception of the guest has been postponed until the meeting of the heads of factions and groups.
"I really hope that the leadership of the parliament, factions and groups will implement the decision of 159 deputies, and we will hear a report on this pressing issue at the next session of the parliament at the end of February. And let me remind you that the hearing of the head of the SBU at the committee on national security and defense, which took place the other day, is not a report to the parliament," Yurchyshyn stressed.
According to data released on January 16, employees of "Bihus.Info" were recorded on video using prohibited substances. On the same day, the head of the project, Denys Bigus, announced illegal surveillance and wiretapping by the SBU, as well as personnel changes.
In response to these statements, the Security Service of Ukraine launched an investigation into the illegal wiretapping and video recording of Bihus.Info representatives.
On February 5, "Bihus.Info" journalists reported that they were being monitored by the SBU.
Also, the Security Service of Ukraine made personnel changes in the Department of Protection of National Statehood, dismissing its head.
In accordance with the adopted decision, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine decided to invite the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, to a meeting to discuss the situation related to the pressure on the employees of the "Bihus.Info" investigative journalist project. His speech may take place at the end of February.
The Attorney General's Office assigned the State Bureau to investigate the case.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, reacted to the attacks against the media and emphasized the inadmissibility of any pressure on journalists.
