UOJ gives details of "S14" attack on Editorial Office

On January 29, a press conference was held about the attack on the Editorial Ofiice of the Union of Orthodox Journalists by youths in balaclavas and insignia of the "S14" group, placed on the list of international terrorist organizations.

Director of the UOJ Anna Poddubnaya reported that the attack on the Editorial Office was the first case in the three-year history of the Union of Orthodox Journalists. At the same time, she expressed hope that in Ukraine the authorities would take appropriate measures to guarantee the constitutional rights of citizens to freedom of conscience and freedom of speech. Law enforcement bodies acted strange in the incident: an operational investigative unit that arrived at the Editorial Office refused to inspect the scene of the incident and take a report on the commission of an offence for a long time. Only after long-term persuasions, the National Police officers took the report of the UOJ about the obstruction of journalistic activity, theft and illegal entry committed by a group of persons (under part 3 of Article 171 and part 3 of Article 185 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, respectively).

An eyewitness of the events, UOJ journalist Valery Stupnitsky, said that the editorial staff did not consider many of the attackers to be villains. To some extent, they could even be patriots of Ukraine who, in their own way, try to express their love for the Motherland. At the same time, their naivety was clearly used by pragmatic people. And they cannot be called patriots.

The human rights defenders present at the press conference noted the inadmissibility of what had happened in the state striving for the status of a legal one and called for giving the event a wide publicity, so that this does not happen in the future.

Journalists of the UOJ confirmed their further intention to cover the events around the UOC and protect their faith and the Church from unreasonable attacks by the radical forces.

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