Ukrainian investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach revealed details of his detention in Vienna, which took place on October 8 on suspicion of espionage. His cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko was also detained with him. The two have since been released, but the investigation in Austria is ongoing.
“The irony of the whole story is that the people who tried to hinder our work actually helped us do it“, Tkach said in a video clip quoted by Austrian Radio and Television.
The arrest occurred during journalistic work
According to Tkach, the arrest was related to his investigations into the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko, who fled to Austria. The journalist claims that people associated with Kravchenko may have misled the Austrian authorities in order to hinder the team's work.
Tkach also points to a businessman from Odessa who lives in Austria and is accused by Ukrainian authorities of economic crimes. According to the journalist, the businessman supported a media campaign against the Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities.
The police operation was prompted by a report from the businessman's driver. He noticed that the rented car in which Tkach and Bondarenko were traveling was following his car. After the report, the two journalists were stopped and detained by force.
Interest in the same building in Vienna
Referring to documents from the investigation, Tkach claims that the journalists and officers of the Ukrainian military intelligence showed interest in the same guarded residential building in Vienna. It was inhabited mainly by Ukrainians who had left their country.
The journalist also says that the day before the arrest, the Austrian Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence requested that the team's car be placed under surveillance through a specialized video surveillance system.
Tkach questions the actions of the Austrian authorities, since after the surveillance, contact checks and information collection, the prosecutor's office subsequently stated that it did not know that the two detainees were journalists.
The investigation continues
Tkach and Bondarenko are at large. Meanwhile, two Ukrainian military intelligence officers remain in custody in Vienna under a preventive measure of “detention in custody“. No information has been provided on the completion of the investigation or on the final charges brought against the journalists.
Sources: bta.bg, orf.at