Investigation into forced “confession” by journalist Maxim Kasyanov

An Independent Media Union committee has spent time in Donetsk investigating the circumstances around the “confession” given by journalist Maxim Kasyanov to an attack on the head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, Andriy Shyshatsky 

Three members of the Union met with Maxim Kasyanov and his lawyer;  Andriy Shyshatsky  and the head of the investigation unit of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Pavlo Vinda. They were unable to see the management of the tax police. 

The Union says that what remains unclear is who came up with the version that Kasyanov was supposed to have tried to attack the Governor.  Pavlo Vinda believes the story is improbable but promises that an inquiry will be carried out.

The Media Union also demanded that Kasyanov’s journalist ID be returned to him. The journalist asserts that it was taken from him without the necessary paperwork.

As reported, on 21 June Maxim Kasyanov confirmed that he had formally “confessed” to  an attack on the head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, Andriy Shyshatsky.  This came after information about the confession was released by the press secretary of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

Kasyanov said that he had been forced to do this because of pressure from Investigator Rudenko who demanded the confession.

“It was already 20.00, my lawyer Tetyana Ivanova who is helping me for free had not eaten from early morning. Investigator Rudenko asked the lawyer to leave and said: “Tell me how you carried out an attempt on the Governor.”.  I explain to him that they attacked me. But he says that I will sit there until I sign the confession. I then rejected the services of a lawyer in order to let her go. After that the investigator insisted that he wouldn’t let me go until I wrote the confession. I wrote it. Let him now investigate it if he wants to earn some stars. What else shall to confess to?  That I also destroyed a 15 century church”.

The journalist asserts that he and his colleagues have all the photo and video evidence to prove what actually happened.  On 20 June he stated that he had been attacked by unknown individuals when he was filming the Governor’s car. These individuals identified themselves to the police as the Governor’s guards.

The police press service claims that during the Governor’s visit Maxim’s behaviour aroused suspicions from officials of the State Tax Service, that he was detained and handed over to police officers.

New information from Telekritika