Kyiv police have detained a man suspected of attacking journalists of Russia's LifeNews television station on January 1, a spokesman for the Ukrainian capital's central police department said.
“The camera operator’s video camera was damaged and a mobile phone was seized
from the journalist during the incident that occurred in the center of the
capital yesterday,” the spokesman said.
A preliminary investigation has been launched under part 1 of Article 171 of
the Ukrainian Criminal Code (obstruction of journalists carrying out their
professional duties) and Part 2 of Article 186 (robbery), he said.
LifeNews reported on January 1 that its journalists were attacked during a
torch-lit procession in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
“The LifeNews TV channel’s correspondent Zhanna Karpenko and her camera
operator were attacked during a torch-lit procession in the Ukrainian capital.
Unknown persons wearing face masks pushed the journalist and snatched her mobile
phone, after which they seized the camera from camera operator Alexandra
Ulyanova and smashed it,” the TV channel said.
LifeNews TV channel is one of 15 Russian TV channels which broadcasting in
Ukrainian cable networks is banned under a ruling of the district administrative
court of Kyiv and the decision of the National Council for Television and Radio
Broadcasting of Ukraine. Ukrainian Security Service also banned 83 Russian
journalists from entering Ukraine, including those presenting LifeNews TV
channel.
