Free speech row after Ukraine strips top political talk show host of work permit

Ukraine’s most prominent political talk show host was stripped of his work permit on Tuesday in what he described as a politically-charged case.

The incident created an instant political uproar in Kiev that eventually forced Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to step in and defend his record on media rights.

Savik Shuster - a 63-year-old Canadian citizen who was born in the Soviet Union and had previously worked for the US-funded Radio Liberty station - accused Kiev’s pro-Western leaders of being thin-skinned and unwilling to support free speech.

“The problem is that, as it turn out, this government does not tolerate any criticism,” he said on his 3S.tv satellite television channel.

He later announced he was going on hunger strike “until the moment when my right to work in Ukraine is restored”.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s press freedom representative Dunja Mijatovic said the case raised “a number of concerns and questions” about Ukraine.

Shuster was told by the employment office Tuesday that his Ukrainian work permit was being revoked because he had failed to notify registration authorities that he was the subject of a disputed tax evasion claim.