The journalist who investigated the dealings of Minister of Justice Stefanishyna was detained by the police

The journalist who investigated the dealings of Minister of Justice Stefanishyna was detained by the police

At the station, Maksym Kotsyubynskyi spent several hours, after which he was released without a detention report being compiled.

According to Kotsyubynskyi, initially, one police officer approached him and asked to see his documents, explaining the request as a "survey of citizens." Later, another police officer joined and stated that a "superficial search" needed to be conducted. After performing the "superficial search," a few more police officers approached the journalist.

"When I asked why this was being done during a ’survey of citizens,’ the police officers replied that someone informed them that I was filming strategic objects, which I did not do," Kotsyubynskyi explained.

The journalist immediately showed the police officers his ID and explained that earlier that day, he had been documenting the movements of a public official. However, he was offered to go to the police station at 12-B Prorizna Street, where he provided his explanations once more.

"At the station, I was asked to provide written permission for a phone inspection. I refused and waited for a lawyer. In the absence of an investigator, the police informed me that they could confiscate my phone for a long time. I asked if this was a threat, to which they replied that it was informational advice," the journalist recounted.

Even though the police asserted that the journalist was not detained, representatives of the patrol police restricted his movements and were always nearby.

After the arrival of the lawyer, Maksym Kotsyubynskyi provided his explanations again, after which he was finally released.

According to the patrol officers, they received a report about a suspicious person, but they did not show the relevant report to the hromadske journalist. They did not specify from whom the report came, what exactly the "suspicious actions" were, or where exactly they allegedly took place. It should be noted that the journalist did not conduct any other filming that day.

According to lawyer Anastasiya Burkovska, the professional activity of a journalist cannot be grounds for their arrest, detention, or confiscation of gathered, processed, prepared materials or technical means used in their work. This is stated in Article 17 of the Law of Ukraine "On State Support of Media, Guarantees of Professional Activity and Social Protection of Journalists."

"Therefore, after [the police officers] saw the journalist’s ID, they should have stopped. However, in my opinion, there were not sufficient grounds even for a superficial check. According to the Law of Ukraine ’On the National Police,’ a police officer may stop individuals for a superficial check if there are sufficient grounds to believe the person possesses an item prohibited or restricted in circulation, or which poses a threat to their life or health, or the life or health of others," Burkovska explained.

hromadske journalists reached out to Olha Stefanishyna’s team with questions about whether the incident with the journalist being taken to the station might be related to recording her car earlier that day. They informed that they did not call the police.