“1 + 1” journalist Maxim Butkevych released in St. Petersburg
The journalist is emphatic that he was arrested purely because he had a video camera in his hand
TV Channel “1 + 1” reports that the three Ukrainians arrested in St. Petersburg two days ago have been released. Among them was journalist Maxim Butkevych. He had been jailed by the court for three days but was released following an appeal from the Ukrainian Consul in the city.
The journalist stated during a live broadcast that the testimony on the basis of which the participants in the protest action were detained was muddled and as if on carbon copies.
Maxim Butkevych also stated that he had been arrested purely because he was holding a video recorder, and called this an outrageous violation of human rights, which he was compelled to draw attention to by declaring a hunger strike.
He has been ordered to leave Russia within 3 days.