Ukraine's Foreign Ministry seeks answers over detention of UP journalist Mykhailo Tkach in Vienna

Tetyana Oliynyk, Ivan Diakonov - 9 October, 01:36

Mykhailo Tkach. Photo: Olha Korotenko

The Embassy of Ukraine in Austria has contacted the Austrian authorities to request an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the detention in Vienna of Mykhailo Tkach, head of the investigative journalism department at Ukrainska Pravda.

Source: a comment by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi

Quote: "We have received information about the detention of Mykhailo Tkach. The Embassy of Ukraine in Austria has contacted the Austrian side to request an explanation of the circumstances surrounding his detention. The consul is already in contact with Austrian counterpart and has formally requested access to the detained Ukrainian citizen."

Details: Tykhyi added that the Foreign Ministry, its Department of the Consular Service and the Embassy of Ukraine in Austria are monitoring the situation.

Update: It later became known that the Ukrainian consul had been granted access to Tkach and had spoken with him. Despite this, Austrian law enforcement officers continue to hold the journalist in custody.

Background:

Tkach was detained in Vienna while carrying out an assignment from the editorial team in connection with the search for the fugitive prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko.
Mykhailo was in Austria with his colleague Yaroslav Bondarenko. His whereabouts and fate are currently unknown to UP. UP has no direct contact with Tkach at present.

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