Head of RIA Novosti Ukraine news portal Kirill Vyshinsky, who has been jailed in Ukraine since 2018 on charges of treason, wrote in a letter to fellow journalists that he had not received proper medical care in detention for half a year
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2019) Head of RIA Novosti Ukraine news portal Kirill Vyshinsky, who has been jailed in Ukraine since 2018 on charges of treason, wrote in a letter to fellow journalists that he had not received proper medical care in detention for half a year.
Vyshinsky was arrested in Kiev on May 15, 2018. The journalist may face up to 15 years in jail. In March, a Ukrainian court extended Vyshinsky's arrest until May 24 and refused to return the case to the prosecution. Russian journalists in April wrote a letter to Ukraine's president-elect, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, asking him to facilitate the release of Vyshinsky.
"My mood is vigorous and upbeat. The state of health is normal, although, of course, everything is very subjective - the last time I saw a doctor was in the Kherson detention center about six months ago. Since then, neither representatives of humanitarian organizations, nor qualified doctors have been in touch with me, while I have seen the local medical unit in the Kiev detention center only from the outside, despite several of my appeals, "Vyshinsky wrote.
A rally of solidarity with Vyshinsky will be held on May 15 near the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow, the press service of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency said on Monday. Journalists, public figures, human rights activists and all people concerned will attend the demonstration. They will hold banners with Vyshinsky's photos, symbols of solidarity with him, and calls for release of the journalist.
Vyshinsky's case has been widely condemned globally. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Vyshinsky's arrest is politically motivated, adding that the incident demonstrates an unprecedented and unacceptable policy of Ukrainian authorities targeting journalists doing their jobs. The Russian Foreign Ministry has protested to Kiev, calling on the incumbent authorities to stop the crackdown on media.
Harlem Desir, the representative on freedom of the media at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has also expressed his concern over Ukraine's actions toward Vyshinsky and called for the journalist's release. Commenting on the situation, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger has said that all OSCE member states should comply with international standards and avoid interfering in the work of the media.�
