Kharkiv Journalists issue an Appeal over the disappearance of Vasyl Klimentyev

On 11 August while carrying out his official duties the Chief Editor of the Kharkiv newspaper “New Style” and Head of the Independent Agency of Journalist Investigations, Vasyl Petrovych Klimentyev disappeared without trace.

His professional activities give grounds for assuming that the main figures of his publications could have taking measures of reprisal against him. In connection with this on 15 August the Criminal Investigation Department of the Dzherzhynsky Police Station initiated a criminal investigation under Article 115 of the Criminal Code (murder).

With no substantive evidence in favour of any particular version, we would at the same time call on the journalist community in the region to close ranks in standing up for their professional rights, freedom of speech and the guaranteed dialogue between representatives of the authorities and the people. We are certain that the law enforcement bodies will make all efforts possible to uncover this mysterious criminal case and re-establish the Kharkiv region’s position as a region in which for many years nobody has killed journalists.

A. Holub, Y. Maslov, N. Zotova, V. Revenko, A. Shvets, Members of the Board of the Kharkiv Regional Branch of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine