Journalist beaten in Kramatorsk. Police instituted criminal proceedings for obstruction to journalistic activity

On 9th of December, in Kramatorsk (Donetsk region) the journalist Andriy Romanenko was beaten while exercising his professional activity. He was filming the process of laying asphalt in the rain, as to Radio Free Europe. As to Romanenko, he was to record some inefficient way to draft on taxpayers funds. A man, probably a foreman, approached me, the journalist said afterwards, and asked what I was filming on. I answered that I was filming in what manner they used budget funds. He replied I could film neither workers, nor machinery. But me, I told that I was journalist and had right to take pictures, because it was question of budget funds”. Then, the foreman assaulted Romanenko, beat him on his face, seized the telephone and forced to delete the video”. Romanenko lodged a complaint to the police on obstruction to practice journalistic activity. The police instituted the criminal proceedings, based on the par. 1 of the article 171 of Criminal Code, as to press officer of the Kramatork branch of the Head Department of the National police in Kramatorsk Valeria Osypets. .