(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called for a rapid investigation of the violent attack on opposition journalist Hennadi Rybchenkov, of the weekly “Ukraina Tsentr”, in the central city of Kirovograd on 25 November 2004. Rybchenkov was attacked by thugs who told him he should be writing articles in support of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the official […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called for a rapid investigation of the violent attack on opposition journalist Hennadi Rybchenkov, of the weekly “Ukraina Tsentr”, in the central city of Kirovograd on 25 November 2004. Rybchenkov was attacked by thugs who told him he should be writing articles in support of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the official winner of the 21 November presidential election run-off.
“This attack was clearly motivated by Hennadi Rybchenkov’s work as a journalist,” the organisation said in a letter to Interior Minister Mykola Bilokon. “We demand a rapid and thorough investigation leading to the identification and punishment of those responsible.”
RSF noted that there were an extremely high number of serious physical attacks on journalists every year in Ukraine. “The systematic impunity enjoyed by those responsible could become very dangerous for the entire press in the present political context,” the organisation warned.
The attack on Rybchenkov occurred when he returned home after covering a demonstration in support of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko for his newspaper. Two men waiting outside his home shouted out his name and said, “Now you are going to write for Viktor Yanukovych.” They then beat him up and took his mobile phone.
Rybchenkov managed to get inside his home before losing consciousness. On 28 November, he was hospitalised with cranial traumatism and various other injuries. An official investigation was opened, but the police are not focusing on political motives, “Ukraina Tsentr” editor Yuri Ilyuchek said.
Rybchenkov has written many reports about electoral fraud in the Kirovograd area. In particular, he was very critical of the Central Electoral Commission’s decision to annul the first-round results in a Kirovograd district where Yushchenko won.
On 21 November, a few days before the second round of elections, Rybchenkov was attacked by thugs in the city’s central park, along with his colleague Oksana Hutsalyuk and Ruslan Khudoyarov, of the local news agency Komivoyager.
On 18 November, Alexander Danutsa, TV-Stymul’s news director and host of its news bulletin, was also violently attacked in Kirovograd (see IFEX alerts of 24 and 19 November 2004).
