Odrex Clinic attacks freedom of speech and tries to "silence" journalists through court

Odrex Clinic is trying to restrict freedom of speech through court and prohibit journalists from covering the high-profile "Odrex Case." Specifically, among the clinic's demands to the court are: to declare the information published by journalists "unreliable" and to oblige them to refute it. Such an approach raises serious questions about pressure on journalists and the limits of permissible interference in their activities. Read about Odrex Clinic's new demands in the UNN material.

The private clinic Odrex (which, among other legal entities, also includes "Dim Medytsyny" LLC, as this particular company filed the corresponding lawsuit with the court on behalf of Odrex) has filed a lawsuit with the Commercial Court of Kyiv, demanding: to declare "unreliable" the information from articles about patient stories that were published in the documentary film "Wasp's Nest" and on the pages of UNN, as well as information from the article about the next inspection of the clinic by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. In addition, the clinic demands to recover UAH 1 million from the media, and also to prohibit journalists from publishing the mentioned information about the clinic in future materials.

In this logic, in our opinion, it is not about "reputation protection," which Odrex insists on in its court statements, but about an attempt to push out information from the public space that they do not like. However, the point is that journalism by its nature is not "convenient" for the subjects of investigations and the "main characters" of articles. And UNN materials are based on facts, witness accounts, and documents, even if their content is critical or unpleasant for the individuals involved.

However, instead of an open response to the disclosed facts, the clinic chooses a different strategy – an attempt at judicial pressure and intimidation. After all, when journalists are signaled that critical materials can end in lawsuits, fines, and restrictions – this is no longer just a matter of one lawsuit, but a broader context of encroachment on freedom of speech.

UNN emphasizes that topics of public interest - particularly in the field of medicine - cannot be removed from public discussion through judicial mechanisms.

Against this backdrop, the attempt to restrict the dissemination of information looks like potential pressure on the media and can be regarded as obstruction of journalistic activity.

Let us remind you

This is not the first time that UNN has faced restrictions from the Odrex clinic. Earlier, a journalist from the agency was not allowed to attend a press conference organized by the medical institution itself.

According to the organizers, the reason was the alleged lack of timely accreditation (editor's note: journalist registration for the event). However, the application for UNN accreditation was submitted in advance. This situation signals that the clinic may still not be ready for open dialogue, especially when it comes to uncomfortable and unfavorable questions for them.