AUSTRIA, VIENNA, Oct. 9 – Mykhailo Tkach, Ukrainian investigative journalist, was released after more than 12 hours in detention in Vienna. His colleague Yaroslav Bondarenko, the cameraman, was injured during the detention, according to Sevğil Musaieva, editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda media outlet.

Mykhailo and Yaroslav had been detained on Oct. 8, during the editorial assignment connected with the search for the fugitive Ukraine’s prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko.

The case is linked to Operation Carthage, an investigation by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) into an alleged scheme in which they suspect Ruslan Kravchenko protected scam call centers in exchange for bribes. 

“The allegations made against our colleagues during their detention were unlike anything the newsroom has encountered before and raise serious questions,” Musaieva said.

Ukrainska Pravda expects Austrian law enforcement to explain the circumstances of the detention, Bondarenko’s injuries and the length of time both journalists were in detention. The newsroom has also called for clarification of their legal status and the return of their communication devices.

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