Ukrainian website that leaked personal data of journalists closes

Website Myrotvorets, which leaked the personal information of people suspected of separatism by the authors, announced its closure.

The announcement appeared on the website.

The site became at the center of another scandal a few days ago, after it had made public the information about journalists who were accredited in the so-called “DPR.” The list includes the journalists of the Ukrainian and world media such as BBC, AFP, CNN, AP, Bloomberg, Aljazeera, The Independent and others.

The journalists released a joint statement, saying they were shocked by this publication. They pointed out that it was thanks to many journalists on the list the world found out the truth about the self-proclaimed republics. Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Valeria Lutkovska once again urged to close the site as it violates the human right to privacy.

Later, the prosecutor’s office launched a criminal proceeding over obstructing the legitimate activities of journalists.

“Taking into account the reaction that was caused by the publication of the list of journalists accredited in the DPR, the requirements of Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Valeria Lutkovska and the ever-troubled and preoccupied European Union, as well as anti-Ukrainian sentiments of journalists in Ukraine, headed by Deputy Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine Tetiana Popova, the Myrotvorets Center has taken a difficult decision to close the website,” reads the statement on the website.

However, the data will apparently remain accessible on the website.

“Currently, the staff of the Center is archiving all available information, which will then be put in open access so that anyone could download it and deploy locally on a computer,” the authors added.

Website Myrotvorets was established in August, 2014. Its authors publish in open access the data of people who are considered to be “terrorists, separatists and accomplices.” Ukrainian MP Anton Herashchenko, who, according to some sources, initiated the launch of the site, said that the Security Service, the Interior Ministry and the intelligence used it to gather information about militants.

According to journalists, shortly before ex-MP Oleh Kalashnikov and journalist Oles Buzyna had been murdered, their data appeared on the website.