MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2020) Moscow views the deliberate spraying of a tear substance by Minneapolis police at the face of a RIA Novosti correspondent as a manifestation of unjustified brutality, and considers the use of riot control weapons by US law enforcement officers against journalists holding a press card to be unacceptable, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Mikhail Turgiyev, a RIA Novosti correspondent, who himself was harmed while performing his duty, said that the police in the protest-hit Minneapolis had deliberately used pepper spray on a group of journalists. According to him, the incident happened already after the protest was dispersed.
"We are concerned about the growing police violence and unjustified detentions of journalists during their coverage of protests in the United States that broke out after the murder of George Floyd. We consider it unacceptable that US law enforcement officials use riot control weapons - rubber bullets and tear aerosols - against media representatives after they present a press card. In particular, we view the deliberate spraying of pepper aerosol by Minneapolis police officers at the face of RIA Novosti correspondent Mikhail Turgiyev, despite his identification as a journalist,� as a manifestation of unjustified brutality," the statement said.
The ministry called on competent US authorities and international bodies to properly investigate these incidents.
"We urge relevant international organizations and human rights NGOs to properly respond to this arbitrariness," the statement said.
