In Mykolayiv ex-"Party of Regions" politician tried to prevent journalists from attending Vilkul’s electoral campaign event

On September 30, a deputy of Mykolayivska oblast council, who recently belonged to the Party of Regions and one of the leaders of Mykolayiv oblast branch of the Party of Development of Ukraine Mykola Mashkin threatened journalists that he would escort them by force from the conference hall of the business center “Oleksandrivsky”, where Oleksander Vilkul, the ex-vice Prime Minister in the government of Mykola Azarov had a campaign meeting with Mykolayiv’s entrepreneurs and leaders of NGOs. This was reported by the online media outlet Prestupnosti.Net.

In particular, before the event Mashkin approached the Prestupnosti.Net correspondent  Andriy Lokhmatov and “NikVesti” correspondent Oleh Dereniuha and asked where they were from, and received an answer that they were from Mykolayiv. Then he told them no press was to be at the event, demanded that they left the venue, and threatened that the security would escort them out, even by force, if necessary. But he did nothing after that and was not seen at the conference hall.