Russian Mission to OSCE: Ukraine Violates Commitments in Field of Media Freedom

The recent deportation of a reporter from Russia's VGTRK television and broadcasting company, Tamara Nersesyan, from Ukraine violates Kiev's commitments in the field of media freedom under Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) guidelines, the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the OSCE said Tuesday.

VIENNA (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, VGTRK reported that Nersesyan was deported from Ukraine. Shortly thereafter, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confirmed the deportation, but did not provide further details on the matter.

"VGTRK correspondent T.Narsesyan deportation from Ukraine most likely of her Neo-Nazism report — Kiev violates #OSCE commitments free media," the mission's press service said on its Twitter account.

VGTRK correspondent T.Narsesyan deportation from Ukraine most likely of her Neo-Nazism report — Kiev violates #OSCE commitments free media pic.twitter.com/xFalvetHfx

— Russian Mission OSCE (@RF_OSCE) August 15, 2017

​Following the deportation, Nersesyan said that Ukrainian security services ordered her to leave the country within 24 hours and barred her from re-entry for a three-year period over the alleged threat her materials posed to Ukrainian security and territorial integrity.

The move has already been condemned by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which called on Harlem Desir, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, to pay attention to Kiev's policy toward the media and to give a principled evaluation of these actions.