Berkut detains Prominent Ukrainian Journalist with only a racist epithet as “grounds”

Mustafa Nayem, television presenter and journalist for the Ukrainska Pravda Internet publication is reported to have been detained by Berkut Special Force officers.

Ukrainska Pravda cites Channel 5 newsreader Tetyana Danylenko who says that Mustafa was detained around 21.30 near the Channel 5 building.

“They drove up in a Berkut car. Without identifying themselves, they asked Mustafa to get out of the car (Ms Danylenko’s car). Mustafa got out. They asked him to show his documents, and began to behave in offensive manner. Mustafa showed his documents but they said that they hadn’t seen them”.

“They detained him by force explaining that as being because he is “a person of Caucuses nationality” (a thoroughly offensive term for those the police see as being from the Caucuses) and took him to the Podilsk District Police Department. They were offensive to both him and myself, and removed his mobile phone”.

Mustafa Nayem was taken to the police station where they filled out a protocol and released him.

He himself says that “the officer wrote out a detention protocol. On the way into the police station that officer put my phone into my pocket.  When I asked him to explain why he had taken my phone he said that there would be no explanation”.

Telekritika reports that asked what he thinks the detention is connected with, Mustafa Nayem replied “With human boorishness and imbecility, nothing else”.