In Kherson, IMI representative was injured as he conducted his journalist duties

On May 25 in Kherson, the husband of the member of Suvorivska rayon council, former banker Taras Burda attacked the journalist of the media outlet “Most”, and IMI representative in Khersonska oblast Serhiy Nikitenko, and injured his head with his own tablet.

According to the journalist, the incident took place in the center of the city at Svobody Square, after the rally organized to honor the released pilot Nadiya Savchenko.

The conflict started after the member of the local city council from the party UKROP Olena Mazur pried the journalist's tablet from his hands. The journalist says that he brought his tablet with him to live stream the event. When he saw council members, he decided to ask them about the recent publication about use of public funds pertaining to UKROP party. At some point, as the journalist explained, Taras Burda approached him and started offending him and pouring water on him, placing the bottle in the area of his crotch and mocking the journalist. As Serhiy was pushing the man away, Burda's wife, the council member, pried off the journalist's tablet from his hands.  The journalist called police, which was present right there at the square. Then, Burda took the tablet and threw it into the journalist's head, causing injury and damaging the tablet. After that, all participants of the conflict went to the police station to explain the situation to the police.

In his comment for IMI, Burda said that the journalist was not controlling himself and seemed to have been drunk. Burda claims that the journalist attacked him first. The journalist plans to give the record of the incident to the police for proper investigation.