The ex-Colonel of the Ministry of internal Affairs of Ukraine Mykola Protasov who were incarcerated for the deprivation of life of Ukrainian journalist Georgy Gongadze, has died in the MENA penal colony in Chernihiv region, said his lawyer, Victor Cephus.

Protasov, subordinate to the former General of the interior Ministry of Ukraine Oleksiy Pukach, the former chief duty of the chief administration of the criminal search division of the search-investigative activity of internal Affairs of Ukraine, Colonel (deprived of the title in March 2008). In early 2005, accused of belonging to the deprivation of life of journalist Gongadze, and later sentenced to 13 years in prison.

According to Chigusa, who had met Protasova a month ago, he has not repented in Gongadze's abduction. Protasov was serving a sentence in a police prison in the village Makoshino, Maine's territory, Chernihiv region.

Georgy Gongadze died in 2000, his headless body was found in the Kiev region. The murder of a journalist has caused a great outcry both in Ukraine and beyond its borders.

sections: Politics