Rally To Protest Vyshinsky's Arrest Took Place Near Ukrainian Embassy In Moscow

Rally to Protest Vyshinsky's Arrest Took Place Near Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow

A rally organized by Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency to protest the detention of head of the RIA Novosti Ukraine news portal Kirill Vyshinsky, who has already spent nearly six months in custody in Ukraine on suspicion of treason, took place outside the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow on Friday.

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd November, 2018) A rally organized by Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency to protest the detention of head of the RIA Novosti Ukraine news portal Kirill Vyshinsky, who has already spent nearly six months in custody in Ukraine on suspicion of treason, took place outside the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow on Friday.

About 100 people, including famous journalists, State Duma lawmakers, human rights activists and colleagues who are not indifferent to Vyshinsky's fate, took part in the demonstration. RT and Sputnik Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan and Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselev also were among those present.

Participants in the rally chanted "Free Kirill Vyshinsky!" and carried portraits of Kirill with the same hashtag.

The event was timed to coincide with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed annually on November 2. The day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly resolution that condemns any violence against journalists. The document urges member states to "do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers, to ensure accountability through the conduct of impartial, speedy and effective investigations into all alleged violence against journalists and media workers falling within their jurisdiction and to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice and ensure that victims have access to appropriate remedies."

Vyshinsky was detained in Kiev on May 15 on suspicion of supporting the breakaway republics of Donbas and on treason charges. The maximum penalty for such an offense is 15 years of imprisonment.

On May 17, a court of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson ruled to remand Vyshinsky in custody. The defense appealed the arrest, but the court dismissed the appeal. During a court hearing, Vyshinsky asked for help from Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also said that he would give up his Ukrainian citizenship.

Putin has said that Vyshinsky's arrest was politically motivated, adding that the incident demonstrated an unprecedented and unacceptable policy of Ukrainian authorities targeting journalists who were just doing their jobs. The Russian Foreign Ministry lodged protests to Kiev, calling on it to stop crackdown on media.

On November 1, the Kherson city court extended the arrest of Vyshinsky until December 28.