Ukrainska Pravda reported the detention of investigator Tkach in Vienna
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- Kateryna SeredaEditor-in-chief
Journalist Mykhailo Tkach was detained whilst on assignment in Vienna; photo by Olga KorotenkoMykhailo Tkach, head of the investigative journalism department at Ukrainska Pravda, was detained in Vienna whilst carrying out an editorial assignment linked to the search for the fugitive Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
This was stated in a press release published on the evening of 8 October by the publication’s editor-in-chief, Sevgil Musaeva.
The editorial team considers this detention to be unlawful and demands his immediate release and an official explanation of the actions taken by the Austrian law enforcement authorities.
UP’s editor-in-chief, Sevgil Musaeva, reported that Mykhailo Tkach was in Austria with his colleague Yaroslav Bondarenko. At present, the editorial team is unaware of Yaroslav’s whereabouts or fate.
«We demand that his whereabouts be established without delay and that we be assured of his safety. The editorial team currently has no direct contact with Mykhailo. According to the information we have, he has been taken to a detention centre, and a lawyer is in contact with him. We have already informed the Ukrainian Embassy in Austria and the Austrian Embassy in Ukraine. We ask Ukrainian diplomats to urgently take all necessary measures to protect our journalists, ascertain their whereabouts and facilitate Mykhailo’s release,» wrote Sevgil Musaeva.
The editorial team has called on the Austrian authorities to immediately explain the grounds for the detention, ensure that Mykhailo has access to legal and consular assistance, and allow him to contact the editorial team and his family.
«Mykhailo and Yaroslav travelled to Vienna to carry out their work. As editor-in-chief, I insist that the safety of journalists and their right to carry out their professional activities must be guaranteed. We expect the Austrian authorities to take immediate action, provide transparent explanations and ensure that all our colleagues’ rights are respected,» the journalist’s post reads.
In a comment to Ukrainska Pravda, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi stated that the Ukrainian Embassy in Austria had already approached the Austrian authorities with a request for an explanation of the circumstances surrounding Mykhailo Tkach’s detention.
«We have received information about the detention of Mykhailo Tkach. The Ukrainian Embassy in Austria has already approached the Austrian authorities with a request for an explanation of the circumstances surrounding this detention. The consul is already in contact with his Austrian counterparts and has officially requested access to the detained citizen,» - said Heorhiy Tykhyi.
He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Consular Service Department and the Ukrainian Embassy in Austria are monitoring the situation closely.
As a reminder, in early 2024, Polish law enforcement officers detained Mykhailo Tkach, a journalist for «Ukrainska Pravda», along with a cameraman near the Belarusian border whilst they were filming a report on the transit of goods between Poland, Russia and Belarus.
