UP cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko injured during detention in Vienna

Ukrainska Pravda cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko was injured while being detained by police in Vienna, Austria, and has been in hospital. Police only began questioning him at night, Ukrainska Pravda chief editor Sevgil Musaieva reported in a Facebook post.

She said that Mykhailo Tkach, chief investigative journalism at the outlet, had been released at 4am on 9 October after more than 12 hours in custody. However, he has not been given back his communication devices, so the team is unable to contact the journalist directly.

The newsroom does not know the procedural status of either journalist. Musaieva said that the charges that the police had brought against the journalists during the detention raised serious questions.

READ MORE

• Mykhailo Tkach detained in Vienna, colleague’s whereabouts unknown

“We expect the Austrian law enforcement bodies to provide explanations regarding the detention of our colleagues, Yaroslav’s injury, and the reasons for holding them both in custody for so long. We also expect their procedural status to be clarified and their communication equipment to be returned to them,” the chief editor wrote.

She remarked that Mykhailo Tkach has been detained before while reporting in various countries, but that he and his colleagues were usually released within an hour or an hour and a half, once the details were made clear. This time, the detention lasted more than 12 hours.

“This is the first time they have been held in custody for more than 12 hours. The duration of the detention, the nature of the charges brought against our colleagues, Yaroslav’s injury, and the lack of direct contact with Mykhailo are causing us great alarm,” Musaieva wrote.

Previously

Ukrainska Pravda senior investigator Mykhailo Tkach was detained in Vienna, Austria, on 8 October while carrying out an editorial assignment; the whereabouts of his colleague Yaroslav Bondarenko is unclear. The team considers the detention unlawful and demands his immediate release and an official explanation of the Austrian police’s actions.

The Embassy of Ukraine in Austria requested explanations from the Austrian side regarding the detention of Ukrainska Pravda journalist Mykhailo Tkach in Vienna. The Ukrainian consul was later granted access to him and spoke with him.

Ukraine’s MFA reported on 9 October that Mykhailo Tkach had been released following his detention in Vienna, Austria.