The situation with media freedom in Ukraine requires the constant attention of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) since Kiev continues to detain and keep in custody journalists who provide unwanted coverage in the eyes of Kiev, including RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky, Russian Permanent Representative to OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said on Friday
VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2019) The situation with media freedom in Ukraine requires the constant attention of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) since Kiev continues to detain and keep in custody journalists who provide unwanted coverage in the eyes of Kiev, including RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky, Russian Permanent Representative to OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said on Friday.Last month, Lukashevich told Sputnik that the Russian mission to the OSCE would continue raising the issue of Vyshinsky's arrest with the organization.
"The situation with media freedom [in Ukraine] requires the continuous attention of the OSCE. RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky and many other journalists out of Kiev's favor remain imprisoned. There is also no progress in the investigations into high-profile murders of journalists," Lukashevich said at a special session of the OSCE Permanent Council.
Vyshinsky's arrest has become one of the most talked cases illustrating the deterioration of journalists' rights in Ukraine. He 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, which was rejected. According to Russian authorities, Vyshinsky's arrest was politically motivated and demonstrated that there was little media freedom in Ukraine.
In addition, a number of independent journalists have been subject to intimidation and acts of violence in Ukraine in connection to their professional duties. Violence against journalists has even resulted in deaths, with victims including Ukrainian journalist and writer Oles Buzina, reporter Pavel Sheremet, photojournalist of Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency Andrei Stenin, Rossiya tv channel's Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, and Channel One cameraman Anatoly Klyan.
