On the fact of illegal listening and videotaping of representatives of the Bihus.Info project, law enforcement officers have launched another pretrial investigation into the obstruction of the professional activities of journalists, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has reported.

The Telegram channel says that currently the PGO is providing procedural guidance in criminal proceedings on violations of privacy and the use of special technical means of obtaining information (Articles 182, 359 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

"During the pretrial investigation, facts have been established that may indicate obstruction of the legitimate professional activities of journalists. Illegal collection of information about journalists of the editorial office was carried out on the territory of the ethnographic complex Bihus.Info. The data could be used to further influence them," the message says.

In this regard, law enforcement officers entered information into the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations and began a pretrial investigation under the procedural management of the Prosecutor General’s Office under Part 3 of Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - influence in any form on a journalist in order to prevent him from fulfilling his professional duties, committed by an official using his official position.

Currently, procedural and investigative actions are being carried out aimed at identifying the persons involved in the commission of the crime.

The pretrial investigation is carried out by the Main Investigative Directorate of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

As reported, on January 16, audio and video recordings were released online, from which it follows that Bihus.Info journalists allegedly use illegal substances at a New Year's corporate party. Denys Bihus, the founder of the project, reacted to these materials, among other things, saying that members of his team were allegedly followed for about a year, probably with the aim of discrediting.

On January 17, the SBU opened criminal proceedings and began investigating the circumstances of illegal wiretapping and videotaping of representatives of Bihus.Info. Criminal proceedings have been initiated on this fact in accordance with Article 359 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal acquisition, sale or use of special technical means of obtaining information).