Vyshinsky Hands Over Documents On Persecution Of Journalists To OSCE Media Representative

STRASBOURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2020) Kirill Vyshinsky, the executive director of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, during the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Tuesday handed over to OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic the list of journalists persecuted in Ukraine and a compilation of documents on the situation regarding Sputnik Estonia, the agency's press service said.

In addition, the press service said that Vyshinsky also passed on the agency's letter to President of the Council of Europe Charles Michel.

"I thank you for your support and the meeting and hope that you care about the fate of journalists in Ukraine and Europe," Vyshinsky said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the executive director said that he brought to the PACE session the list of 12 Ukrainian journalists who face persecution and a package of documents on repressive measures against journalists in a number of European countries, including the Baltic States, Germany, the UK and France.

Vyshinsky handed over the documents ahead of the Wednesday session, which is set to review a report on the threats to media freedom and journalists' safety. The Russian delegation said that it would not back the report, as it was not objective.

The situation over Russian media in Europe has been escalating since 2016 when the European Parliament adopted a resolution against them, with Rossiya Segodnya and Sputnik being indicated as the main threats due to accusations of allegedly meddling in elections in the US and France.

Vyshinsky himself experienced the violation of his rights by Ukrainian authorities. In May 2018, when he was the head of the Kiev-based RIA Novosti Ukraine online portal, he was detained on suspicion of committing treason and supporting the self-proclaimed republics in the conflict-torn Donbas region of Ukraine. The journalist was freed on September 7, 2019, during a simultaneous release of detained and convicted persons by Russia and Ukraine.

Sputnik Estonia has also been facing a case of pressure imposed on journalists by the authorities. Last October, its employees were threatened with criminal prosecution by Estonian police unless they ended their employment at Rossiya Segodnya, which Sputnik Estonia is part of. The Baltic country's authorities cited the EU sanctions against several Russian nationals, including Dmitry Kiselev, the head of Rossiya Segodnya, as the reason behind their move. However, Rossiya Segodnya is not owned by Kiselev, as it is not a private organization, and does not appear on any sanctions lists.