Russia should appeal to all international organizations, including the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), over The Times newspaper's violation of the rights of journalists working at the Sputnik news agency's UK bureau, Andrei Klimov, the deputy chair of the Russian upper house's International Affairs Committee, told Sputnik on Monday.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th December, 2018) Russia should appeal to all international organizations, including the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), over The Times newspaper's violation of the rights of journalists working at the Sputnik news agency's UK bureau, Andrei Klimov, the deputy chair of the Russian upper house's International Affairs Committee, told Sputnik on Monday.
On Sunday, following the example of Ukraine's Mirotvorets website, which is known for publishing the private information of people who allegedly pose a threat to Ukraine's sovereignty, The Times published a list of eight journalists working at Sputnik's UK office in Edinburgh, complete with their photos, Names and job titles. The article also contained an appeal by Alex Cole-Hamilton, a member of the Scottish parliament from Scottish Liberal Democrats, to have journalists of Sputnik internet radio station and RT broadcaster be deprived of their assets in the United Kingdom.
"The actions of The Times newspaper is an attempt to hinder the journalistic work of colleagues as well as a violation of laws on personal data ... It is necessary to react immediately referring to all addresses, including the OSCE," Klimov stressed.
In response to The Times article, Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Sputnik and the RT broadcaster, on Monday congratulated the United Kingdom on the "upcoming 1933," a reference to the year Nazi leader Adolf Hitler became German chancellor and ordered a decree enabling government control over the press.
Ukraine's Mirotvorets website started the practice of publishing lists containing the personal information of individuals who are considered to be "enemies of Ukraine," including Ukrainian and foreign journalists who covered the military conflict in Donbas, public figures who visited Crimea, and others. Following the publication of their personal data, some of these people faced personal threats. Such actions have been widely criticized in Moscow and some other states.
In early December, the OSCE issued a decision on the safety of journalists, reaffirming "all relevant OSCE commitments on the right to freedom of expression." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the document "reflects concerns about the illegal interference in journalists' private lives that could threaten their safety." She used Mirotvorets as an example of a website that "contained personal data of journalists of a number of OSCE countries."
