Protesters in Kyiv demand U.S. apology for cameraman's death (04/17/05)

Protesters in Kyiv demand U.S. apology for cameraman's death

by Vladyslav Pavlov
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

KYIV - About 50 protesters held a demonstration at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv demanding that President George W. Bush publicly apologize to the Protsyuk family for the death of Taras Protsyuk, the Ukrainian cameraman killed by American forces in Iraq.

The protest was held on the second anniversary of Mr. Protsyuk's death on April 8, 2003. Demonstrators represented Ukraine's Green Party and members of the Respublika Institute, which is financed by George Soros' Renaissance Foundation and the U.S. government.

"For two years, Taras' family, his friends and all of Ukrainian society has listened to the deliberations about 'necessary self-defense' and about specific military actions," said Volodymyr Chemeris, a director at the Respublika Institute, quoting a letter addressed to the U.S. Embassy.

"But if the behavior of the American administration is completely understood, it is defending its own interests and the silence of our government officials is inconceivable," he continued.

After Mr. Chemeris and Green Party activist Serhii Kurykin delivered brief speeches, a representative of the Embassy emerged and took their letter.

Mr. Protsyuk, 35, an employee of the Reuters news agency, was standing on a balcony at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad, where 150 journalists were staying. He was killed as a result of a shell attack by a U.S. tank along with José Couso, a cameraman employed by Spanish network Telecinco. U.S. forces apparently mistook the journalists on the hotel's balcony for snipers. Mr. Protsyuk, an experienced cameraman for Reuters, was Ukraine's first casualty in Iraq.

An indication that President Yushchenko is trying to resolve the Protsyuk matter came at an April 12 press conference in Warsaw, where he stated that Ukrainian and American officials are currently discussing compensation for Mr. Protsyuk's family.

American and Ukrainian government officials began discussions on compensation during his U.S. visit, Mr. Yushchenko said. At a March 31 Kyiv press conference before his departure, Mr. Yushchenko said he told Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk to include the matter for high-level discussions.

"For my part, as president, I would like to meet Mr. Protsyuk - Taras' father - to consider the problems of his family," Mr. Yushchenko said in Warsaw.

In addition, President Yushchenko proposed more than a year ago that his Ukraine 3000 Foundation consider granting the Protsyuk family a monthly stipend to alleviate the family's hardships. Mr. Protsyuk is survived by his wife, Lydia, and son, Denys.

The demonstrators also protested the Iraq war, demanding that Mr. Yushchenko remove Ukraine's troops within a month "as Spain had done," instead of prolonging the withdrawal until mid-October, as the Ukrainian president had projected at his Kyiv press conference.

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