Deputy of Sumska oblast council attacked journalists with cursing, fists, and threats

On June 20, in Trostianets, Sumska oblast, the deputy of the oblast council Mykola Miroshnychenko attacked local journalists, who were conducting a journalist investigation, with cursing and threats. The journalist of the newspaper «Kruhly Dvir» Roman Sadivnychyi together with the camera operator of the local TV and Radio Company «Holos Hromady» Ivan Hovzan was conducting an investigation about legality of charges for using local ponds in Trostianetsky rayon. When the crew came to one of the ponds, the guards demanded that they paid for using the pond, and explained that the pond was rented out to Miroshnychenko, who had all the paperwork in his office. The filming crew went to Miroshnychenko’s office in Trostianets; they just got out of their car when Miroshnychenko attacked them with cursing. In the presence of witnesses, he told the journalists that he would give them no information and threatened them with violence, literally promising to drown them in the pond if they were to come there again. After that the deputy punched Roman Sadivnychyi in the face.

Roman Sadivnychyi filed a complaint for violation of journalist’s right to obtain information both with the police and with the prosecutor’s office.