Police closes the case on death threats to "Chetverta Vlada" chief editor

The police closed the case over death threats to the "Chetverta Vlada" editor-in-chief Volodymyr Torbich by Eldar Magomedov, who is thought to be affiliated with the Rivne branch of the Shariy party. The law enforcers believe that death threats to a journalist do not constitute a crime, according to the police's reply to a query by the Institute of Mass Information representative in Rivne oblast.

The police closed the proceedings in June 2024.

Eldar Magomedov, affiliated with the Rivne branch of the Shariy party, texte implied death threats to the "Chetverta Vlada" chief editor. Photo by "Typove Rivne"

"The investigative team of the Rivne District Department of the Rivne Oblast National Police has conducted a pre-trial investigation in the proceedings ... dated November 29, 2023, opened on the grounds of a crime that falls under Part 1 of Art. 345-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (death threats or violence against a journalist. – Ed.); on 06.06.2024 a decision to close the proceedings on the basis of Clause 2, Part 1, Article 284 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine (lack of a corpus delicti) was made based on the findings," says the response to the IMI's query.

Previously

In November 2023, Eldar Magomedov texted implied death threats to the "Chetverta Vlada" editor-in-chief, Volodymyr Torbich. The threats were triggered by a photo of Magomedov which was posted on Facebook by Torbich.

The photo confirms that Eldar Magomedov was present at the wake for Taras Davydiuk, a soldier and "Horyn.Info" editor-in-chief who was killed in action on November 8. Many people in Rivne were outraged by Magomedov's presence at the wake, as Eldar Magomedov is considered one of the Shariy party members who assaulted Taras Davydiuk in 2019 on the eve of the parliamentary elections.

After posting the photo, Volodymyr Torbich received several text messages from Eldar Magomedov saying "You must be aware that 'what goes around, comes around'"; "There is a time and occasion for everything – yours is ahead." Volodymyr interpreted these words as threats.

In November 2023 the IMI reported on this incident. The police responded by opening a case. Torbich was later questioned. The police refused to disclose other details about the work done in the case at the IMI's request, citing the secrecy of investigation.

"I can only recall one instance when the police did not close the case after a crime against 'Chetverta Vlada' journalists was reported. This was when our office was set on fire. All other statements on obstruction of reporting were closed by the police. One gets the impression that they either don't know how to investigate such crimes, or they don't want to, or they don't consider such crimes something terrible and worth their time," Volodymyr Torbich commented to the IMI in response to the news about the case being closed.