The state guard administration has apologised to Serhiy Andrushko for having used force against him at an agricultural exposition in Kyiv.
(IMI/IFEX) – The Ukrainian state guard administration (ASG) has apologised to an STB TV journalist for having used force against him on 15 June 2010 at the Agro-2010 agricultural exposition in Kyiv. The ASG will launch a detailed internal investigation.
A security officer for President Viktor Yanukovich used force against Serhiy Andrushko, a journalist for the national TV station STB.
“We were filming the president making a speech at the Agro-2010 exposition,” Andrushko said. “When the president finished, he went around looking at farm machinery. My cameraman and other journalists followed him. I was a little bit late because I had to pick up my equipment. When I followed him, someone barred the way. When I warned him that I would film everything with my phone, he twisted my arms and pushed me to the ground.”
Andrushko said he intends to lodge a complaint with the police because the incident impeded him from carrying out his journalistic activities.
This is not the first incident of this type that has been reported involving President Yanukovich’s security personnel. On 3 June, when the head of state was delivering a public speech, there was an incident involving his security personnel and a journalist for the “Ukrayisnka Pravda” online edition.
