In Kyiv, police investigates obstruction and abduction of journalist

In Kyiv, on February 21, an employee of a TV channel addressed police with a complaint about obstruction to his work and abduction. The police started a criminal case and investigated it. This was reported on the Kyiv National Police Administration website.

“According to the complainant, as he was preparing the story and tried to record an interview, unidentified people were obstructing him, and then forced him into a car, and released later”, the police reports.

The police identified one of the suspects. The question of his detention is being considered. Also, Channel 17 reports about an attack against their office and attempt of abduction of its filming crew on the eve of February 21. About 15 men attacked the Channel’s office, assaulted the security guard and damaged some equipment. Earlier, Channel 17 was conducting live coverage of some actions organized by the right forces in Kyiv. The channel advertises itself as an independent media, yet it has been criticized for a non-transparent ownership structure and provocative coverage/hunting for sensations/instigation of scandals. The channel’s producer general Oleksiy Kutiepov claims that the same people who attacked the journalist at Maidan assaulted the office. One of the suspects was arrested by the police - he is a 46-year-old resident of Kirovohradska oblast.