Human rights activist arrested in Kharkiv for 15 days

Human rights defender and lawyer Maksym Korniyenko was convicted as he had refused to go to the district police station from the courtroom.

As Depo.Kharkiv local news website reports, this is stated in the judgment of the Volchansky District Court of Kharkiv dated November 14.

According to the judgment, Korniyenko refused to go to the district police station from the courtroom, not having thereby obeyed a lawful order of a police officer. Korniyenko did not plead guilty.

The court found in the actions of the human rights activist an administrative violation under Article 185 of the Code of Administrative Offences of Ukraine, and chose a maximum punishment for him – administrative arrest for up to 15 days. The court has not set the aggravating circumstances.

According to friends of the human rights activist, he was in Volchansky District Court of Kharkiv that day, defending his clients. The human rights activist was recording the court hearing, using his mobile phone. This judge was outraged by that and appealed to a police officer.

A friend of Korniyenko, Yaroslava Manchenko, wrote on her Facebook page that physical violence had been used against the human rights activist.

“Physical violence was used against human rights activist Maksym Korniyenko yesterday. Despite the critical state, the detainee was denied hospital admission and family visits,” she noted.

Maksym Korniyenko is a public figure, a member of the Public Council at the Kharkiv Regional State Administration and the Public Council at the General Directorate of the National Police in Kharkiv region.