Volgograd: NTV journalists fined by 1000 roubles each for covering ASF outbreak

In Volgograd, magistrate judge found Andrei Sukhanov, a journalist of the NTV Channel, and cameraman Daniil Korotun guilty of petty hooliganism and sentenced them to a fine of 1000 roubles for the interview on African swine fever (ASF), to which they brought a piglet.

"Correspondents of the 'NTV' TV Channel failed to appear at the today's session of the magistrate court. The case was considered without them," the "Bloknot" quotes the assistant of the magistrate judge of the judicial precinct No. 118.

Galina Alikova, Chair of the Regional Veterinary Committee, explained to the court that there was an agreement with the journalists about the interview; however, their bringing a piglet to the interview was not in question. According to her, the journalists behaved defiantly and aggressively, "put a piglet into face", asked questions about whether she felt sorry, and called her a killer of piglets, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

The journalists of the NTV Channel went into the Chair's office, and there they "dropped the piglet out of the bag with excrements and uneaten food." This was stated at the court session by Andrei Fomenko, Deputy Chair of the Veterinary Committee.

A representative of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Volgograd, by their actions, the journalist group of the NTV Channel violated the public order, the rules of the public institution, paralyzed its work, and showed their contempt for other people.

The judge also read out the case materials, in particular, the explanations of Daniil Korotun and Andrei Sukhanov. Daniil Korotun has explained that they did not plan to release the pig and that happened by accident. In his turn, Andrei Sukhanov has stated that the pig was a requisite and that he got it from unidentified person without compensation.