Top opposition editor arrested in Kyiv after search of office

Law enforcement authorities conducted a search the night of June 22 of the editorial offices of the strana.ua news site, which ended with the arrest of its chief editor, Ihor Huzhva. The Prosecutor General’s Office has accused him of extorting a bribe of USD 10,000 for not publishing materials criminally exposing MP Dmytro Linko.

In his defense, Huzhva told the Ukrainian News agency that the situation was the opposite. He said he was offered a USD 20,000 bribe by Linko to remove texts that exposed his corruption, which Huzhva said he refused. Linko told a television network that he has evidence of a bribe being demanded, though he declined to say whether it was Huzhva personally.

Huzhva is a well-known editor in Kyiv, having previously served as chief editor of the Russian-oriented Vesti daily newspaper. His strana.ua news site was among the most critical of the Poroshenko administration and drew much viewer traffic.

Zenon Zawada: In recent weeks, accusations have swelled of President Poroshenko conducting political repressions against his rivals. We reported this week about the alleged sabotage of Lviv garbage disposal in order to undermine the poll ratings of the city’s mayor, who is considered to be a rival in the 2019 elections.

Huzhva’s arrest only adds legitimacy to those claims. It has already been condemned by the National Journalists Union, despite Huzhva’s Russia-oriented positions. This disturbing pattern of actions against political rivals will certainly draw the attention of Western officials, who will consider them when deciding on whether to extend more loans.