On September 14, 2010, a report by mayor Volodymyr Saldo, who is running for this position for the third time from the Party of Regions, was held at the Kherson Drama Theater. There was no announcement about the report either in the media or on the city council's website. There were rumors that invitations were being distributed to select individuals. Leaders of public organizations did not receive invitations. \nAt the doors of the drama theater stood burly men who only let in those who had invitations. Dementiy tried to get in first as a citizen and voter, then as a journalist of "Political Kherson Region" - with a press card. But neither he nor other public leaders were allowed in; Saldo's deputy was managing the process. And only when the deputy head of the regional state administration intervened did they manage to get into the hall, where most of the seats were occupied by city executive committee employees. \nWhen Saldo had already begun speaking, it turned out that plainclothes security guards were not letting two city council deputies opposed to Saldo into the theater. Dementiy tried to convince Saldo's deputy and the guards that this was unlawful, that they must be let in, because the mayor is accountable to both voters and deputies. He was not listened to. \nThen Dementiy went to the middle of the hall, took a microphone and demanded that Saldo stop and give orders to let in all the people who wanted to hear his report. He repeated this several times until Saldo stopped, but his moderator immediately addressed those present in the hall: "Let's support our mayor," - and the majority began to applaud. \nSaldo's deputy and four burly men in plainclothes pushed Dementiy out into the lobby, and there three of them twisted his arms and held them that way, while one struck him in the face and head. The police stood and watched. And when Dementiy broke free and raised his hand to fight back, the camera hanging on his arm hit the forehead of the one who was beating him and cut his skin. Police immediately appeared, an ambulance was called for the "victim" and he was taken to the hospital. Dementiy's wife, Halyna Akhmatova, and colleagues who were in the hall ran into the lobby during the fight and managed to film some of it on video. Dementiy's entire face was covered in red marks. But Saldo's deputy and others still tried to blame Dementiy. \nDementiy gave testimony to the police, but he was feeling worse and worse, an ambulance was called, and at the hospital he was diagnosed with "intracranial injury and moderate concussion." Doctors insist that Dementiy remain in the hospital under observation. He is lying in one room, and in the room next door is the "victim." \nPart of the video about what happened in the hall is here: \n \n \nThe Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, the Committee of Voters of Ukraine and the entire active public are outraged by the brutal beating of Dementiy Bilyi, a member of the Board of the UHHRU and Head of the Kherson regional branch of the CVU. \nWe demand that the central authorities ensure an objective investigation of the public beating of a well-known human rights defender.