Serhiy Tsyhypa, chief of “Kakhovskiy Platsdarm” bureau of journalist investigations, was violently beaten on March 16.
According to Telekritika, an unknown man attacked the journalist when he was entering the house at 8.00 a.m. “I was walking with my dog, and if not the dog, I would have been killed. In the hospital, they put me in 6 stitches, I have a fracture of my nose, a brain concussion, two teeth kicked out, and there is a suspicion that two ribs were fractured”, S.Tsyhypa said.
The journalist is confident that the attack is connected with his journalist activities, because he was an author of a series of materials, criticizing the city Mayor and his entourage. He believes that the attack on him was provoked with the materials, published in #11 of “Delovye Novosti” local weekly, dated March 12, 2008. “After this publication, I was unofficially warned that soon I will face “big problems”. I also received numerous threats by telephone”, he said.
To secure himself and his family, on March 14, the journalist submitted an application to local police station, in which he informed that his life may be attempted. He sent a copy of the application to the Kherson Oblast Interior Ministry’s Directorate.
Almost immediately after the attack on March 16, Serhiy went to the police station, and informed about the attack. He insisted that it be mentioned in the protocol that he had warned police in advance about a possible attempt on his life, connected with his journalist activities. However, later he got to know that the police brought a criminal case on article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – “hooliganism”, and not on article 171 – “hampering journalist activities” of the Criminal Code of Ukraine [in line with the Ukrainian law, if a journalist is attacked, the criminal case must be brought namely on this article].
“I’m not interested in those who beat me, because I do not believe that the police will find them. But, as for the instigators, it is much easier. In my application of March 14, I informed about a possible intermediary between the executors and instigators of the crime – his name is Kostiantyn Hladushka, he was a member of the Novokakhovskiy city council of the previous convocation. But he is just an intermediary. Most probably, I stole a march on city Mayor Volodymyr Kovalenko and his deputies, out of who three were previously convicted for crimes”, the journalist informed.
“I do not need the laurels of Gongadze. I have a wife, children, and a little grandson”, the journalist said.
