In Kharkiv, activists assaulted journalist, hitting his back and putting out cigarette against his hand

In Kharkiv on February  10, representatives of NGO “Hromadska Varta” ("Community Guards") attacked the journalist of informational and analytica department of portal "Kharkivskie Izvestiya" (the newspaper of Kharkiv city council), Stanislav Kolotilov. The attack caused, according to the doctors, bruising of spine and cerebral concussion. One of the attackers also put out cigarette against the hand of the journalist of the same portal Lesia Kocherzhuk. The conflict was over when the police arrived to the scene, and the attackers fled.

The conflict took place at Serpova street, near cafe of the "Hromadska Varta" organization's leader Valentyn Bystrychenko. Allegedly the leader was conducting illegal construction there, and journalists wanted to cover this in their story. Police investigation is pending.