Police identified person who could have been involved in murder of Komarov

The Cherkasy police has identified a person who eventually could have been involved in the murder of journalist Vadim Komarov. This is stated in the ruling of the Pridneprovsky district court of Cherkasy on July 10. According to a court ruling, on May 23, while executing search at the place of residence of that person, they found a hammer and an ax, which could have been used as instrument of crime. The molecular genetic examination is to verify whether these objects had blood and molecules and whether they coincided by its genetic signs with the genetic signs of the victim. IMI informed on June 20th, Vadym Komarov, Cherkassy investigative journalist, victim of brutal assault who stayed in coma, died. As IMI informed, on May 4th in Cherkassy, some unknown person beat Vadym Komarov, local journalist and video blogger, who investigated facts of corruption in municipal council, illegal real estate development and condition of penitentiary establishment. Komarov was sent to the hospital, he was in a critical condition, as he got an open cranio-cerebral trauma. The police initially instituted a criminal case under part 1 of article 121 (“Intentional grave bodily harm”) of the Criminal Code. But then, the investigators re-qualified the criminal proceedings under articles 15 and 115 of the Criminal Code (“Murderous attempt”). On May 6, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir called for an effective investigation into the attack on journalist Vadym Komarov. On May 7, Reporters sans frontières, said they were appalled by the brutal attack and called on the authorities to do everything possible to ensure that this horrific attack did not go unpunished.”