January 22, 2014

UPI | RFE/RL

On Wednesday, UPI reported that two journalists have been beaten and detained in the ongoing protests in Kiev.

Two Radio Free Europe Ukrainian Service journalists said they were beaten and detained by police while covering anti-government protests Tuesday. The Kiev Post reported police assaulted a journalist who provided live video for Expresso TV.

In a video for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty posted Wednesday, the two badly beaten men, Dmytro Barkar and Ihor Iskhakov, talk about what happened.



RFE/RL also reported Wednesday that contributor Vitali Portnikov has left Ukraine out of fear for his own safety.

Vitali Portnikov, who has been the target of a smear campaign, said on Jan. 21 that he was forced to flee after he received information from trustworthy sources in Russia that Ukrainian authorities planned to kill him.

Portnikov, who heads the TVi television channel, wrote on Facebook earlier that three men had attempted to force their way into his apartment on January 20.

RFE/RL reported Wednesday that at least three people have died in clashes with police in Kiev. The news agency is live-blogging the protests.

On Dec. 25, 2013, Maria Danilova reported for the Associated Press that journalist and activist Tetyana Chernovil had been beaten outside Kiev.

Chernovil, 34, was attacked as she was driving home. Her car was cornered by a sports utility vehicle. When she tried to flee, she was beaten by several men. Chernovil sustained a concussion, as well as fractures to her nose and face, said her husband Mykola Berezovy.

The attack took place hours after Chernovil published an article on a posh suburban residence which she claimed was being built for (Interior Minister Vitali) Zakharchenko.

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Kristen Hare teaches local journalists the critical skills they need to serve and cover their communities as Poynter's local news faculty member. Before joining faculty…
Kristen Hare

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