Tatyana Chornovol was attacked last night. She was driving home on the road from Boryspil when she was chased by a Porsche Cayenne, which attempted to shove her car into the ditch. The Porsche finally managed to block her vehicle. Several men jumped out, dragged her from her car, and beat her violently before dumping her in the ditch. There were pictures of Tatyana in the newspaper in a dreadful state, practically disfigured. Eyes swollen, cheeks bruised, her whole face puffed up like someone allergic to wasp stings.
It has been announced that even Viktor Yanukovych is outraged and has ordered the police to urgently find the culprits by any means necessary. Police have opened an inquiry into the attack, with the expected charge being assault and battery (art. 296 para. 2 of the Penal Code). Vitaliy Zakharchenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs, said that three individuals who took part in the attack have already been identified, and two of them arrested. We await further news.
It’s hard to imagine Yanukovych being overly worried by this beating though. After all, Tatyana Chornovol did illegally enter his private property and take photographs of his palaces so she could display them on opposition websites.
Police are also trying to clear up another big and scandalous crime. This one concerns the Maidan activists occupying the city hall, who are accused of stealing the baubles and tinsel stored in one of the building’s rooms and intended to decorate the two real fir trees growing on either side of the main entrance.
It is time I started thinking about the New Year celebrations too. I can’t possibly expect Grandma Raya and Grandpa Yura to take care of it, given their age and their poor health, so we will organise the party at our house. On the night of the 31st, I will jump in the car to pick up my parents. The next morning, I will take them back home, and we will go to Crimea for our winter holidays. There is a train to Sevastopol at one in the afternoon.