Walking out of his apartment on a recent morning, journalist Rostyslav Shaposhnikov could not have anticipated that he will remember the day – March 24 – for the rest of his life.
As Shaposhnikov approached his car, he was attacked by four men who dragged him into a black SUV and took him to a grove outside Kyiv.
The attackers tried to suffocate Rostyslav, placing a plastic bag on his head, and then beat him severely.
Luckily for the 26-year-old, two bicyclists scared the attackers off. Five days after the abduction, Shaposhnikov is still recovering in the hospital from a serious concussion, back injuries, hematomas and eye wounds.
“As they were beating me I asked why. They said: ‘We are just executors. Pay back you debts and behave better.’ But I do not have any debts,” Shaposhnikov says.
Police opened a criminal case on violent robbery.
The abductors took the journalist’s cell phone. But the prosecutor changed the case to an assault on March 26.
They have reported no arrests so far.
Police officers in Ukraine know Shaposhnikov well.
He runs the website roadcontrol.org.ua that investigates corruption and other violations by traffic police.
The result of his and other activists’ work includes hundreds of violations caught on camera and uploaded online, the firing of several police officers for wrongdoing and dozens of court cases won.
Since the founding of roadcontrol.org.ua in 2008, its work has often been highlighted on national news, revealing road police officers demanding and taking bribes and breaking the law.
The police tried to shut down the critical web page in February when the court ruled that they forge videos and allow offensive comments. The site was shut down briefly, but after the public criticism, the judge cancelled her own decision.
“Last summer four road policemen attacked our activist and had him arrested for three days for … assaulting them. When we appealed in court with the video of the incident, we were approached by a man who threatened us. He said if we proceed they will shut down the website and put us in jail. This Monday we should have met with a prosecutor to give evidence,” says Shaposhnikov.
Andriy Dzindzha, another activist of roadcontrol.org.ua, was attacked in 2011 by a Kobra special police unit officer who was trying to prevent him from filming his incident with a pulled over driver.
Last summer four road policemen attacked our activist and had him arrested for three days for … assaulting them. When we appealed in court with the video of the incident, we were approached by a man who threatened us. He said if we proceed they will shut down the website and put us in jail – Rostyslav Shaposhnikov
This case is now being investigated by Kyiv city prosecutors.
Working as an investigative journalist can be deadly in Ukraine. The most high-profile murder cases include the Sept. 16, 2000 murder of Ukrainska Pravda website founder Georgiy Gongadze and the July 7, 2001 killing of Ihor Alexandrov in Donetsk Oblast’.
Volodymyr Polishchuk, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says police are looking into whether the assault is connected to Shapohsnikov’s profession.
“Since he is accusing policemen of ordering the attack, the case will probably be investigated by the general prosecutor,” Polishchuk said.
He says police are happy with what roadpolice.org.ua does since the website helps expose crimes by officers: “And we do take action [based on their investigations],” Polishchuk said. “Some were fired. Some received warnings.”
Activists have little faith in the Interior Ministry, however, and plan a March 30 protest.
“If they do not find my abductors, it will be a very bad sign for journalists and activists in the country,” Shaposhnikov said. “They will realize that every day they can be attacked and even killed for something they reported, and nobody will be punished.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Svitlana Tuchynska can be reached at [email protected]
