In Chernihiv, journalist threatened with violence. Police probes into

Photo credit: jNational Police

In Chernihiv, the police investigates into the criminal case over public threats made to a local journalist through social media, as it was reported on the website of the National Police in Chernihiv region.

According to the police, a journalist, who recently has been working covering the communal services issues, appealed to the police on February 13. He told that in a popular social network, he was publicly threatened with violence by one of the administrators of a local condominium association.

The police instituted criminal proceedings under the Article 345-1 (1) of the Criminal Code (threat of murder, violence or destruction or damage to property of the journalist due to his legitimate professional activity).

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

The journalist is 60-year-old Vladislav Savenok (freelance journalist; head of public relations with one of the municipal enterprises of the Chernihiv City Council), as UNIAN reported. As the public debate on  public utilities services in Chrnihiv were held on Facebook, he received following messages “I am going to break your nose, real deal”, “You will be plastered and look for job”, “I’ll smash your glasses. Didn’t you get enough your hands being broken? "

The journalist filed complaint about cyberbullying and threats of physical violence. "I ask you to give a legal assessment of the actions of V.Ye. (the person was named in the text. - Ed. ) due to the facts of cyberbullying, threats of physical violence, and obstruction of journalistic activity and the ability to perform my professional duties," – he said in the complaint.

Also, as to the news agency, Savenok joined 11 pages exposing evidences of threats: scanned copies of posts from social networks.

"Hyperlinks with threats were functioning yesterday. Investigators checked them. I have no desire to put in jail anyone or anything like that. I just want the person to understand that he must behave adequately, ”the journalist commented to UNIAN.