Mykhailo Tkach, journalist and senior investigator at Ukrainska Pravda, says a member of his team has faced stalking in Lviv, Tkach reported in a Facebook post, sharing photos and video footage of the individuals who appeared to be carrying out surveillance.
Tkach said that the individuals had been following the journalist for two days.
“Dear ‘Democrats-Since-Childhood’, whose ‘outdoors crew’ got lost in Lviv near a member of Ukrainska Pravda‘s investigation team and has been wandering around them for two days now? Please, share some information about these guys — we’ll help their bosses get them back,” Mykhailo Tkach wrote.
The journalist called on the media community to share if anyone is able to identify the persons in the photos and asked his followers to share the post.
(Updated.) Ukrainska Pravda chief editor Sevgil Musaieva has also confirmed the stalking faced by an investigations team member in a Facebook post.
“I want to stress: unlawful surveillance of a journalist is pressure on the newsroom, obstruction of lawful reporting, and an overt threat to our colleague’s safety. We demand that the police identify these individuals and find out who ordered the surveillance. We will also be looking for answers ourselves,” the chief editor said.
She added that the stalking would not stop the team’s investigations, “but whoever ordered it should remember: secrets have a way of quickly becoming public.”
The Institute of Mass Information has reached out to Mykhailo Tkach and to Ukrainska Pravda chief editor Sevgil Musaieva for further comment.
As previously reported, an Ukrainska Pravda filming crew was attacked by security guards at the resort complex Edem Kyiv, where Lviv businessman and former MP Ihor Kryvetskyi stayed at the time, late on 9 July.