Is it true that in Kyiv the janitor was detained for the use of the flag of Ukraine as a bag for garbage?

In May 2024, the news appeared in the media and social networks about the initiation of a criminal case against a janitor in Ukraine, who allegedly wrapped garbage in the country's flag. We checked whether such publications are true.

Messages about the detention of a resident of the Ukrainian capital were dispersed on May 13-the man assembled a man collected mowed grass and garbage in an impromptu yellow-blue bag made from the flag of Ukraine. They wrote about this incident "Russian newspaper" Lenta.ru, "Arguments and facts","Federal Press"And other Russian media. "Moscow Region today"Added that" the police detained the janitor and delivered to the department for the trial. " Some Online publications and users social networks They clarified that now the janitor threatens up to 10 years in prison. According to TGSTAT, posts about this event in Russian-speaking Telegram channels scored more than 2 million views. In particular, the detention of the janitor was told "Live broadcast"(760,000 at the time of writing this analysis),"Truthfulness"(212 000),"Sheikh Tamir"(140 000),"Bullet"(105,000), as well as users"VKontakte" Facebook, X And "Zena".

Most publications about the incident refer to the Ukrainian news portal TSN, who released an article about the Kiev janitor on May 13 at 15:26 Moscow time. TSN, in turn, is indicated as a source, published in Facebook User Vadim Bondarenko. Its page is closed, but screenshots of publication were preserved in the media materials, in which the author is outraged by what he saw and asks for “repost and explanation”.

Judging by reports in the Ukrainian media and marks In photographs in social networks, Bondarenko - a resident of Kyiv and a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. IN Comments Under one of the reposts, Bondarenko specified that his wife, Nadia Pavlova, noticed the bag with the leaves. Under the same post, she wrote: “I called the police. Now I'm waiting for the investigative group - to write a statement. This is the Desnyansky district, next to Krasnaya Kalina Avenue, 15, an administrative building from the entrance to the registry office. ”

From publications Ukrainian publications It follows that representatives of the Kyiv law enforcement agencies came to place Accidents in the northeast of the city accepted the statement by Pavlova and began an audit of the "incident with the state flag of Ukraine."

Nevertheless, “verified” could not find official reports that the janitor was “caught”, as the authors of many write publications In Russian-speaking media and Telegram channels, or at least established his personality. The allegations that the communal worker threatens 10 years in prison is also erroneous - theoretically, the actions of the janitor fall under Article 338 The Criminal Code of Ukraine, which prohibits abuse of state symbols, but we did not find press releases on initiating a criminal case. Such a violation may be punishable by a fine, arrest for up to six months or imprisonment for up to three years.

“Verified” applied for a commentary to the police of Kyiv, but at the time of publication, she did not receive a analysis of the response.

Thus, the incident with the Ukrainian flag, described in the media and social networks, really occurred. However, the authors of a number of notes and posts in which the incident describes several inaccuracies. Firstly, there is no evidence that the janitor was caught or that the charges were brought by some specific person. Secondly, for such an offense he may not threaten him not 10 years, but up to three years in prison-and only if the actions of the communal worker are recognized as public and intended.

Photo on the cover: TSN

Half truth

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