The Committee for Monitoring Press Freedom in Crimea has sent a letter to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych expressing concern over pressure exerted on Crimea's biggest and oldest private television and radio company, the Black Sea Television and Radio Company, the UNIAN news agency reported today.

On Monday August 9, a tax police investigator from the Crimean directorate of the State Tax Administration issued an order freezing the assets of the main Crimean opposition television and radio company Black Sea, its president, Tetyana Krasykova, has said. She told the Dzerkalo Tyzhnya weekly that the frozen assets included the building housing the editorial and equipment rooms and studios of the television company and the Asol radio station, cars and, as the relevant order reads, "all the assets wherever they are".

The Supreme Council of Crimea has set the date for the next election of Crimean parliamentary deputies for October 31, simultaneously with local elections in Ukraine.

The opposition People's Committee for the Defence of Ukraine has reported attempts by the authorities to silence the opposition. The committee's press service today issued a statement to this effect.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed the Law on the Judicial system and status of judges (No 6450) with no amendments. The law was adopted in its second reading on July 7 by 260 votes.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed into effect the law on local elections. This law introduces a mixed system, which combines both the proportional and the first-past-the-post systems, for elections to the Supreme Council of Crimea and regional and local councils.

The Communist Party of Ukraine, a member of the ruling coalition, has condemned the latest increase in household gas rates.