KYIV. Oct 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Chairperson of NGO Point of Growth, Education and Science, coordinator of the anti-plagiarism initiative Desergate, Svitlana Blahodeteleva-Vovk intends to ask law enforcement agencies to provide her with state protection in connection with her persecution by an unknown person.

"We will, I hope, with my lawyer, negotiate with the investigator so that I would be granted state protection [security]," said Blahodeteleva-Vovk at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

She said that since mid-June of this year, after she turned to the Ministry of Education and Science about the revealed plagiarism in works of then rector of Chernihiv National Technological University Serhiy Shkarlet [acting Minister of Education and Science], they started "cyberbullying on Facebook" against her.

"Eleven times I have been banned, that is, I am constantly blocked for non-existent violations," the activist said.

According to her, since July, threats of sexual assault from an unknown person began to arrive at her email address, Telegram-channel. "After I blocked the Telegram channel [...] there were messages from different accounts with threats of sexual assault, they sent photos of my house and entrance. He [...] watches me, takes pictures. Leaves obscene notes at the door," she said.

Blahodeteleva-Vovk also said that recently false information appeared in electronic media that she allegedly had a criminal record.

"I will file a claim for the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation against everyone who took part in spreading lies," she said.

The coordinator of the Desergate initiative believes that "systemic activity" is being waged against her. At the same time, she said that she could not assert whether her public activities were related to the facts of persecution, and only representatives of law enforcement agencies could prove this or refute.

According to lawyer Lidiya Dmytrus, Blahodeteleva-Vovk reported to the national police on September 2 and only on September 13 it entered into the state register of pretrial investigations.