Police forbade journalist to take photos of road repairs

On April 8, 2013, in Mykolayiv, the local police tried to prevent the journalist of Ukrainian Media Group news agency (UMH) to take photos of a road repairs in the city center, Prestupnosti.net. reported.

According to the edition, when the reporter was taking photos of a road repairs in the center of Mykolayiv,  three men approached him and began to question what he was doing. The men did not introduce themselves, but wanted to remove the photos taken by the journalist.

After that, the journalist was approached by two police officers – a police lieutenant colonel and a captain of Berkut special police detachment, who introduced himself as Anatoliy Horbunov. "The police immediately started to ask questions about what exactly the journalist was filming. When asked who called the police, Berkut captain replied: "This is none of your business". Later a police lieutenant colonel joined the conversation and said he intended to "invite" the correspondent to the police station, and he, supposedly, cannot refuse to travel there. "I'm curious to see what photos did you take there. There may be information, classified information [the photographs were taken openly in the center of Mykolayiv – Ed.] Sit in the car. You cannot refuse it – this is not the situation”,  the police said, according to the edition.

After that, Ukrainian Media Group director Artem Dyblenko arrived at the scene. According to the edition, captain Anatoliy Gorbunov continued to argue why it is forbidden to take photos in the city center, even expressed a suspicion that the journalist was spying. After all, when police responded to clarifying questions that  they did not detain the correspondent, the incident was solved.

Interior Ministry spokesman Volodymyr Polishchuk said that after the incident in Mykolayiv the journalist of Ukrainian Media Group news agency has a right to turn to police with an application about obstruction to his professional duties.