You're reading: Protesters picket SBU over potential arrest of civic activist, journalist (UPDATED)

Between 1,000 and 500 EuroMaidan activists picketed the headquarters of the state security service, or SBU, on Dec. 15 calling for the KGB-successor agency not to arrest Tetyana Chornovol, a journalist and civic activist. 

Chornovol, 34, told the Kyiv Post that for a week her “sources” have warned her that the SBU have an arrest warrant out for her. Citing leading
political opposition lawmaker Arseniy Yatsenkiuk as well as others, she said
she was told to leave the country, but has decided not to.

But the SBU denied that she was under investigation, or even features in any of their investigations. “Chornovol does not have any procedural status in any of the criminal cases we’re investigating, and therefore nobody has called her in for giving any sort of explanations,” an SBU spokesman told Interfax-Ukraine.

Chornovol said she didn’t file a freedom of information
request to authorities asking them whether she is under investigation or
whether there’s an arrest warrant issued in her name.

She alleged there’s an arrest warrant issued in her name for
her role in the Nov. 25 assault on a white SBU mini-van near European Square
during a pro-European rally that was conducting surveillance. She also suspects
a warrant has been issued for her role in the Dec. 1 takeover of Kyiv’s city
hall building.

“I won’t leave Ukraine, I can be more effective here (in
Kyiv)… I don’t care about my fate,” she said.

Chornovol has worked for Liviy Bereg and Ukrainska Pravda
media outlets. She unsuccessfully ran for parliament in October 2012. She has
been a visible activist and speaker at the EuroMaidan rallies.

Kyiv Post editor Mark
Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].