
27
Jun 2019
Lvl. 1
State replied
Alert created on: 09 May 2019
n° 50/2019
Ukraine
Ukrainian Journalist Vadym Komarov in Coma Following Assault
Source of threatUnknown
CategoryAttacks on physical safety and integrity of journalists
On 4 May 2019, a passersby found investigative reporter Vadym Komarov in downtown Cherkasy, a city in eastern Ukraine, with severe head injuries and called an ambulance and the police, according to news reports. He was taken to a local hospital, and has been in a coma after undergoing brain surgery on the same day; his condition has been described as "grave," according to those reports. On the day of the attack, the Cherkasy police department issued a statement announcing that it had opened an investigation. On 5 May, the case was classified as attempted murder, according to news reports. Police did not specify whether they believed Komarov was targeted for his reporting. On 3 May, Komarov wrote on his Facebook page that he planned to publish information related to sports schools "in the coming days." The journalist's most recent work includes a report on protests in prisons for the independent Ukrainian news website Dzvin.
Updates
20 Jun 2019
On the night of 20 June 2019, the journalist, who remained in a coma since surgery following the attack on 4 May, died.
Additional Information
State replies
Reply from the Government of Ukraine
Follow-ups

OSCE Media Representative deeply shocked by death of journalist Vadim Komarov in Ukraine, calls on authorities to bring perpetrators to justice

The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights deeply saddened by the death of investigative journalist Vadym Komarov

OSCE Media Freedom Representative appalled by attempted murder of journalist in Cherkasy, Ukraine, calls for effective investigation.
Freelancers
Key information :
Vadym KomarovUkrainian independent journalist well known for his coverage of local corruption.