Fact check: Photo shows accused pickpocket punished by vigilantes, not government action

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·3 min read
6

The claim: Photo shows girl in Ukraine punished for questioning Volodymyr Zelenskyy

A March 4 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a girl with her face painted green who is taped to a pole, while a man wearing fatigues with a Ukranian flag patch stands off to the side.

"Children are punished if they question Zelensky, or are of Russian descent, as millions are in Ukraine," reads text within the photo. "What is new in this photo, is that a soldier took part. It was not a mob action, but planned by Zelensky and his Western advisors."

The post garnered more than 100 likes in just over a week. Similar posts have been shared on Instagram and Twitter.

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Our rating: False

The photo shows a girl who was caught stealing by a Ukrainian vigilante group in Lviv, Ukraine, according to local news outlets. There's no evidence the Ukrainian government has punished children for speaking against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Picture shows alleged pickpocket captured by vigilante group

The picture of the girl, along with other photos of people taped to poles, was featured in a 2022 article published by Romea.cz, a Czech outlet that focuses on the Roma (also called Romani) ethnic group.

Julian Kondur, a Ukrainian lawyer and a Roma activist, told the outlet the pictures were spread online by Russian propagandists who claim they show Neo-Nazi activities in Ukraine.

"The people in the photos have been caught in Kyiv for pickpocketing several times," said Kondur. "In Lviv there is a group calling themselves ‘The Hunters’ who persecute Romani people involved in pickpocketing in public places."

Kondur told ZMINA, a Ukrainian human rights organization, the same thing.

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Reporter Tomáš Vlach told Czech outlet Czech Television that those suspected of looting are stripped naked, bound to light poles and abandoned by the vigilante group until police arrive.

A Facebook page with the vigilante group's name was created in 2018. The photo of the girl featured in the Instagram post was shared on the page by the group's administrator on March 21, 2022.

"Gondu Svitlana, Pava Elena, Lakatosh Ilona once again lit up in the center for the act of unwise robbing passers-by," reads the post's caption.

There's no evidence the Ukrainian government has been punishing children as the post claims. There are no credible news reports about such a development.

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USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment.

This claim has been debunked by Lead Stories and Check Your Fact as well.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Photo shows accused pickpocket punished by vigilantes