In Vinnytsia, journalist covering conflict of city authorities and local community, was beaten

In Vinnytsia, unidentified men have beaten the journalist of local media outlet of Vlasno.info Bohdan Novak as he was performing his professional duties. The incident took place on August 29 in the Vinnytsia housing complex, Sabariv, Vlasno.info reports. As Bohdan Novak said, he was brought to the ground by to masked and hooded men and kicked in his face, in spite of him identifying himself as a journalist. Currently the journalist went to the hospital for a check-up. The criminals were not detained. Bohdan Novak was covering the events in the village of Sabariv. Тhe city council wants to build a new cemetery there, and the local activists and community are against this. The field where the cemetery is planned is now guarded by the locals who do not allow construction machinery to go there. As the activists claim, city authorities force workers of governmental enterprises to go there as a counterbalance to the protestors. Bohdan Novak planned to cover these events, yet in several minutes after arrival to the scene he reported that he was beaten, and tear gas was used on him. In addition, the media outlet reports, chief editor of the newspaper “Pravdy syla” Iryna Basenko asked the man who was present at the site wearing a tie why he was in the field instead of working in the office. In response, the man tried to pry off her phone from her hands. Other two journalists defended their colleague, yet the journalists and the local people called police and the man was taken for questioning. Iryna Basenko now will file an official complaint to the police about impediment to her work as a journalist.