The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, and Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Harlem Desir discussed on Friday the fate of jailed RIA Novosti Ukraine news portal head Kirill Vyshinsky during their meeting on the sidelines of the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th December, 2018) The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, and Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Harlem Desir discussed on Friday the fate of jailed RIA Novosti Ukraine news portal head Kirill Vyshinsky during their meeting on the sidelines of the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan.The two-day OSCE Ministerial Council started in Italy on Thursday.
"OSCE representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir and I held talks on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan. Particular attention was paid to the fate of Kirill Vyshinsky, who has been under arrest in Ukraine for more than half a year already," Zakharova said via its official Facebook page.
Vyshinsky was detained in Kiev on May 15 on suspicion of supporting the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics and treason. The journalist may face up to 15 years in prison. On November 1, a Ukrainian court extended Vyshinsky's arrest until December 28.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Vyshinsky's arrest is politically motivated and demonstrates 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.
Desir has earlier expressed his concern over Ukraine's actions toward Vyshinsky and called for the journalist's release, stressing that all OSCE members had pledged to create the necessary conditions to allow journalists to work freely.
