Head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Office Andriy Yermak says he is initiating the move to introduce criminal liability for those publishing secretly taped communications of state officials.
Making such talks public poses a threat to national security, Yermak told the Washington Post.
It's "not normal" when someone secretly records a head of state. And it's not important whether this is an illegal act by a Ukrainian national driven by some domestic motives or some foreign intelligence services who stand behind it, Yermak told The Washington Post.
The official says that the new measure, is adopted, could protect Zelensky and his team from consequences of such leaks.
Read alsoNo inquiries from U.S. over leaked tapes, FM Kuleba says
At the same time, the move may also raise alarm bells among journalists and anti-graft activists if it stops them from revealing tapes exposing corruption of public officials, judges, prosecutors, and others," he said.
As UNIAN reported, President Zelensky earlier said that he was targeted in attempted blackmail based on the leaked tapes of private conversations purportedly involving his office chief Andriy Yermak's brother, Denys.
