Russian Foreign Ministry Bashes Ukraine for Deportation of a TV Reporter

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called the deportation of a Russian correspondent from Ukraine "the gross violation" of rights of journalists, urging the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to evaluate the steps made by the Kiev authorities.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Moscow is outraged by the deportation from Ukraine of the correspondent of the Russian VGTRK television Tamara Nersesyan and demands from Kiev to fulfill its obligations in the field of media freedom, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

"We express indignation at the gross violation of the rights of Russian journalists and demand official Kiev to strictly observe international obligations in the field of media freedom and ensure their security," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said it calls upon the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Desir, to pay attention to the policy of the Ukrainian authorities towards the media and to give a principled evaluation of their actions.

The issue of freedom of media in Ukraine has been widely discussed recently.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the oppression against reporters by the Ukrainian authorities after the arrest of editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian online media Strana.ua Igor Guzhva.

Guzhva was arrested over allegations of blackmailing Dmitry Linko, a member of the country’s Radical Party, for not disclosing materials that would compromise the party. The court ruled to keep Guzhva in custody for 60 days and on $21,000 bail. The journalist has denied the charges.

In addition to that, Sergey Tomilenko, the head of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, who stood up for his colleagues, was criticized by a Verkhovna Rada lawmaker and received threats in social networks.