In Zhytomyrska oblast, journalists of newspaper «Ekho» beaten

In the course of a journalist investigation about a patron of Radomyshl psychoneurological boarding facility, the journalists of Zhytomyr oblast social and business newspaper «Ekho» were beaten. This was reported by the press service of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine with reference to the letter from the media outlet’s editor-in-chief Volodymyr Yatskevych. The editorial office received information that one of the facility’s patron, Iryna Boychuk, was being held as a housekeeper by O.Ihnatova, sister of the facility’s former director, in poor conditions. The editorial staff decided to go and investigate the state of the patron. They did not give a preliminary call to the acting director of the facility, S.Okhotenko (who is a relative of the previous director). The investigation team included the “Ekho”’s special correspondent Svitlana Mykhaliova, correspondent of «KP v Ukraine» Tetiana Kozak and a camera operator. They found Iryna Boychuk in de facto servitude, what she confirmed for the record. Then the acting director of the facility S.Okhotenko came there with a man, O.Tokar, who introduced himself as her husband. Tokar attacked the journalists and said they were the masters here and would do as they pleased. Tetiana Kozak was beaten so bad she needed an ambulance . The fact of the beating of the journalists was confirmed by local police and by doctors, the newspaper «Ekho» reports. A criminal case was opened.