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Ukraine journalist Pavel Sheremet killed in Kiev car bombing Ukraine journalist Pavel Sheremet killed in Kiev car bombing
(about 3 hours later)
A prominent journalist working for a Ukrainian online investigative newspaper has been killed by a car bomb in central Kiev.A prominent journalist working for a Ukrainian online investigative newspaper has been killed by a car bomb in central Kiev.
Pavel Sheremet, who wrote for Ukrayinska Pravda, was driving to work in the car of the newspaper’s owner on Wednesday morning when it was blown up, an adviser to the interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, said.Pavel Sheremet, who wrote for Ukrayinska Pravda, was driving to work in the car of the newspaper’s owner on Wednesday morning when it was blown up, an adviser to the interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, said.
Two witnesses said they had heard a loud blast and saw an explosion from underneath the car, which lay charred in the middle of the street.Two witnesses said they had heard a loud blast and saw an explosion from underneath the car, which lay charred in the middle of the street.
“I’m in shock, I don’t know what to say. It is a matter of honour for the police to investigate the case,” said the head of the national police force, Khatia Dekanoidze. “I will personally take charge of the case.”“I’m in shock, I don’t know what to say. It is a matter of honour for the police to investigate the case,” said the head of the national police force, Khatia Dekanoidze. “I will personally take charge of the case.”
Ukraine’s prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, posted a message on Facebook saying: “The day has begun with terrible news. The prominent Ukrainian journalist Pavel Sheremet was killed this morning.”Ukraine’s prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, posted a message on Facebook saying: “The day has begun with terrible news. The prominent Ukrainian journalist Pavel Sheremet was killed this morning.”
The editor of Ukrainska Pravda, Sevgil Musaieva-Borovyk, told news agencies he thought Sheremet was killed for his “professional activity.”
“Why do they kill journalists in Ukraine? Someone wants to destabilise the situation in the country by doing this,” the editor said.
Originally from Minsk, Sheremet has was particularly critical of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko’s crackdown on dissent.
In the 1990s, Sheremet was editor-in-chief of the popular independent weekly, Belarus Business News, as well as anchor and producer of Prospekt, a news analysis program on Belarusian state television that was banned by the president in 1995.
In 1997, the journalist was arrested while reporting about smuggling across the Belarus-Lithuanian border and sentenced to two years in prison – a move widely viewed as politically motivated. Amnesty International declared him prisoner of conscience.
In 1999 Sheremet was presented with the Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award. In 2002, he was presented with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Prize for Journalism and Democracy.
The journalist’s death prompted an immediate outpouring of grief from colleagues in Ukraine.
Mustafa Nayyem, a member of parliament and former journalist at Ukrayinska Pravda, told Radio Free Europe: “It’s terrible. We’re all very sad today.”
Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia, wrote on Twitter that Sheremet was “one of the best”, adding: “Pavel was such a decent man. So sad.”
The founder of Ukrayinska Pravda, investigative journalist Georgiy Gongadze, was murdered 16 years ago. His body was found decapitated in a forest outside Kiev. The incident helped to precipitate Ukraine’s Orange revolution.The founder of Ukrayinska Pravda, investigative journalist Georgiy Gongadze, was murdered 16 years ago. His body was found decapitated in a forest outside Kiev. The incident helped to precipitate Ukraine’s Orange revolution.