Ukraine’s Police identified five people involved in illegal actions against Yuriy Nikolov, a journalist of the Nashi Hroshi project, the Kyiv City’s police reported on 21 January.

The identified are residents of Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts. The authorities searched the suspects’ homes and reportedly seized material evidence used by suspicious to record the offense, including computer equipment and mobile phones.

Yuriy Nikolov said on Facebook on the evening of 14 January that unknown people came to his apartment, banged on his door, and plastered the door with signs such as “traitor!”, “provocateur!” and demands that Nikolov enlist in the army — a popular way to denigrate males in Ukraine. He said it frightened his ailing mother, who lives with him.

Nikolov is an investigative journalist and a co-founder of Nashi Hroshi’s investigative project. He investigated inflated prices and opaque food procurements for the Ukrainian Army. It allegedly prompted a transparency drive and the resignation of Defense Minister Reznikov.

The Kyiv City Police reported on 15 January that law enforcement officers were checking the fact of threats to the journalist.

The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office is conducting investigative actions with the offenders, and the issue of serving them with a notice of suspicion is being decided.

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