Ukraine’s Security Service sends employees involved in surveillance of Bihus.Іnfo to frontline

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has said in a response to an inquiry that its employees involved in the surveillance of Bihus.Info journalists have been deployed to the zone of military operations, including Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

Source: Bihus.Іnfo

Details: Journalists received a response to their inquiry from the SSU. Specifically, Bihus.Info inquired whether representatives of the SSU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood, mentioned in the Bihus.Info investigation, namely Ihor Kravchenko, Yevhen Konovalenko, and Taras Sadovnik, continue to perform their official duties.

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The SSU’s response states that the individuals investigated by journalists have allegedly been sent to Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts “to fulfil operational and combat tasks in the zone of military operations,” following orders from the head of the SSU, Vasyl Maliuk.

The SSU also said that Andrii Ishchuk has been temporarily appointed as the acting head of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood. The service reiterated that after being exposed, the head of the mentioned department, Roman Semenchenko, was dismissed along with those officers under his command involved in the surveillance of journalists.

Background:

• On 16 January, a video was leaked on the Internet showing Bihus.Info employees allegedly using narcotic substances. Project manager Denys Bihus released a video with an explanation and assured the public that everyone who works for Bihus.Info will be drug-tested.  At the same time, the journalists reported illegal surveillance and wiretapping. They conducted their own investigation.
• On 5 February, investigative journalists from the Bihus.Info project claimed to have identified those who had installed hidden cameras in hotel rooms to conduct surveillance of its editorial board. They were members of the SSU.
• The SSU officially stated that the management had made personnel decisions regarding the Department for the Protection of National Statehood because of the illegal surveillance of Bihus.Info journalists.
• Vasyl Maliuk, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, issued an official comment on the issue of Department of National Statehood Protection’s surveillance of Bihus.Info journalists and the dismissal of the department’s head.
• MPs voted to summon Maliuk to the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) with a report on the wiretapping of Bihus.Info.

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