Russian ombudswoman Tatiana Moskalkova has asked the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the OSCE to provide assistance in the release of RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky from prison in Ukraine
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2019) Russian ombudswoman Tatiana Moskalkova has asked the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the OSCE to provide assistance in the release of RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky from prison in Ukraine.Moskalkova, in particular, expressed concern about the decision of the Ukrainian Supreme Court to postpone the hearing of Vyshinsky's appeal on his arbitrary arrest until March 20. The ombudswoman stressed that she had repeatedly appealed to relevant international structures with a call for a harsh response "to the criminal prosecution of the journalist undesirable for Kiev," which violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
"I appeal to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir with the request for active assistance in the release of prisoner of conscience Kirill Vyshinsky," the statement released on Friday said.
The journalist was detained in Kiev in May 2018, on suspicion of supporting the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics and treason. He has been held in custody ever since. Earlier in January, the journalist's defense team appealed a Ukrainian court's decision to keep Vyshinsky in custody until February 16.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Vyshinsky's arrest is politically motivated and demonstrates Ukraine's unacceptable policy of targeting journalists who are just doing their jobs.
Earlier in January, Moskalkova told Sputnik that she had received responses from the United Nations and the Council of Europe on the arrest of Vyshinsky stating that the organizations were concerned over the situation and ready to pose questions to the Ukrainian authorities.
