1+1 claims Ukrainian special forces tried to shut it down

Ukrainian free-to-air broadcaster 1+1 says that the country’s special forces planned to close it down as part of a wider crackdown on protest and dissent amid the ongoing unrest in the country.

The commercial broadcaster said in a statement that it was targeted by the authorities in a planned special operation which would have been part of an attempt to quell unrest in and around the Maidan square area.

The TV channel is owned by Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky and has scrapped regular schedules in favour of round the clock news during the recent political and social troubles. It claims its reporters and cameramen have continuously had rights violated throughout the news coverage.

1+1 said the operation, which was never effectively put into action as the broadcaster has remained on air throughout the recent troubles, was revealed in documents that were made public by Ukrainian member of parliament Hennady Moskal yesterday.

According to 1+1 a segment of the papers reveal that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and National Security Service also planned to shut down other including Channel 5, TVi and EspresoTV.