Court Declares Man Who Facilitated Maidan Dispersal Not Guilty

Chervonozavodskyi District Court in Kharkiv declared Pavlo Sobchuk, the director of a local transport company that brought ‘titushki’ [Ed.: armed civilians engaged to attack protesters] to disperse Maidan protesters in Kharkiv not guilty, Interfax-Ukraine cites the statement of Judge Sorokina.

Sobchuk was accused of obstruction of media activities and hooliganism associated with infliction of bodily injuries. The court decision was issued in absentia of the suspect and victims (a journalist and a cameraman of STB TV channel). It may be appealed in due course.

On February 19, 2014, Maidan activists along with ‘ultras’ of local football club Metalist were blocking the Police Academy in Kharkiv to prevent students from being sent to Kyiv to attack Maidan protesters. Kharkiv police units pushed the activists back, and then masked civilian men armed with bats dispersed the activists. During this event, an STB cameraman suffered bodily injuries, and the camera crew’s equipment was destroyed.

Source: Ukrayinska Pravda