Twenty-seven journalists have been recognized as aggrieved parties in a criminal case concerning the obstruction of their professional activities and physical harm inflicted on them during the mass protests in Kyiv on Dec. 1, 2013.
The press service of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych reported
the decision on Jan. 16. It cited a report of the Ukrainian Prosecutor
General’s Office to the Committee for Rapid Response to Incidents
involving the Media, which operates at the Interdepartmental Working
Group for Analysis of the Enforcement of Freedom of Speech Laws and
Protection of Journalists’ Rights. The group was analyzing the inquiry
into the incidents involving the press during the protests in Kyiv on
Dec. 1, 2013.
The investigative department of the Kyiv city prosecutor’s office
started criminal proceedings on Dec. 2, 2013, over the abuse of
office by police officers.
Information concerning the obstruction of the professional activities
of journalists and the injuries they sustained in the mass protests was
added to the single register of pretrial investigations. The aforesaid
criminal cases were combined into one.
Medical forensic tests authorized by a detective are in progress, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.
The press service published a list of journalists, who had been recognized as aggrieved parties.
