ZAPORIZHIA REPORTER RELEASED FROM POLICE STATION BY GOVERNOR HIMSELF

“Thousands of Zaporizhia residents saw the hired thugs and criminals who spent hours inside the Regional State Administration. And these very bandits came out of the Regional State Administration to beat the protesters. The trust towards the regional government is undermined forever.”

27.01.2014 0:09
Translated by Olia Knight
Source: http://www.vv.com.ua/news/25604

Dmytro Smolyenko, photojournalist

During today’s forceful dispersal of Euromaidan in Zaporizhia near Regional State Administration, Dmytro Smolyenko, the photojournalist of media agency “Ukrinform” and editor of “Vv” had gone missing.

After two hours of search, he was found at the Ordzhonikidze district police station. He is now released. Here’s Dmytro’s first account as to what happened:

I took a bus to Zaporizhia Regional City Administration when I heard the news about dispersal of Maidan. I started taking pictures openly, without hiding. Then I was knocked off my feet by a hired thug who started hitting me with a baseball bat. A Berkut policeman (Ukrainian SWAT) joined in. I tried to hide my head and equipment. They did manage to break my head and hands. I cried that I was a journalist that caused a reaction opposite of what I expected; the policeman and the thug destroyed my equipment valued at $8,000. After that, I was all covered in blood and had open wounds on my forehead. They took me into their bus and drove to the district police station.

We waited for 20 minutes in front of the police station. The policemen did not know what to do, whether to let us go or formally charge us. Then a man entered the police bus and asked for me. They took me to a room where the governor Oleksandr Peklushenko himself came in and started talking about how I should know better as to where to go and what to stay away from…

“Just yesterday, the events in Kyiv seemed so far away, but after today’s encounter, the frontlines are here, in Zaporizhia. This is fascism. Most of all, I am outraged that thugs and police worked together.”

“I did not expect the Zaporizhia district officials who proved to be patient and reserved for a long time, decide today, not only to involve the police force, but the criminals as well”, said chief editor of “Prav.Da” newspaper Valeriy Zotov. “This is not a guess. Thousands of Zaporizhia residents saw the hired thugs and criminals who spent hours inside the Regional State Administration. And these very bandits came out of the Regional State Administration to beat the protesters. The trust towards the regional government is undermined forever.”