Court acquits director of company engaged in transporting hired thugs to crackdown Maidan activists in Kharkiv
The Chervonozavodsky District Court in Kharkiv acquitted Pavlo Sobchuk, the director of transport enterprise which transported hired thugs to crackdown activists during Maidan protests in Kharkiv.
This is reported by Interfax-Ukraine news agency with reference to the statement by judge Sorokina.
“To recognize Pavlo Sobchu not guilty of charges brought against him under Part 5 of Article 27, Part 1 of Article 171, Part 5 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 296 (preclusion of legal professional activities of journalists and hooliganism accompanied by inflicting of bodily harm) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and to fully acquit him,” the judge read out the verdict.
The verdict was announced in the absence of the defendant and the aggrieved party (STB Ukrainian TV channel correspondent Maria Malevska and cameraman Oleksandr Brynza).
The verdict can be appealed.
February 19, 2014, the activists of local Euromaidan protests in Kharkiv and ultras of Kharkiv “Metalist” football club tried to block the Academy of Internal Troops in Kharkiv to prevent its students from leaving for Kyiv. At about 17:00, the riot police officers pushed the protesters back and unidentified people in vests and masks, armed with bats, first unlock the gate and then crackdown the picket.
During the crackdown, STB channel cameraman Oleksandr Brynza was hit in the head. In addition, the camera of STB channel crew was smashed.
