Bad Time? Users Bewildered as Russian Journo Detained by Kiev Left Off POY Cover

The iconic magazine Time seems likely to have missed something, or rather someone, truly important, but a Telegram messenger user was quick to effectively make up for this.

With Christmas season rapidly approaching, Time has issued this time four covers instead of usual one for its "person of the year", featuring the people of the outgoing year and paying tribute to journalists either imprisoned or killed while working in the field.

The covers quickly made their way into social media and while users in Europe and the United States praised the gesture and homage, in Russia the publication ruffled quite a few feathers.

The Guardians—Jamal Khashoggi, the Capital Gazette, Maria Ressa, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo—TIME's Persons of the Year 2018. #Well Done, @TIME!🙌🏾#TIMEPOTY pic.twitter.com/AKuxhpioIu

— TurtleWoman (@TurtleWoman6) December 12, 2018

​A reader of one of the Telegram channels, sent a missing picture captioning it 'EXTRA Time.'

Kirill Vyshinsky for Time cover

© Photo : Telegram

The picture features the detained head of RIA Novosti Ukraine news portal Kirill Vyshinsky.

"If only Time was an honest outlet, its cover which pays tribute to either imprisoned or killed journalists would look like this…" another user noted on Twitter.

Если бы Time было приличным и честным изданием, то его обложка, посвящённая погибшим и находящимся в тюрьмах журналистам, ставшим людьми года, выглядела бы так👇
Зы. Кто не узнал — на фото находящийся в заложниках у Украины Кирилл Вышинский pic.twitter.com/8oCwvXXXBD

— Юлия Витязева (@Vityzeva) December 12, 2018

Another Twitter user commented on the "EXTRA Time" cover, saying "Thank you! This is right and fair".

Сегодня журнал Time выпустил четыре обложки с людьми года — погибшими и находящимися в тюрьмах журналистами.
Об этом было в утреннем #ПВС.

Читатель #ПВС прислал недостающую картинку.
Подписал “Extra TIME”. Спасибо.
Это правильно и справедливо.👍 pic.twitter.com/Dj7FVbCmx0

— Елена (@Krasnova1789) December 12, 2018

Who is Kirill Vyshinsky?

Journalist Kirill Vyshinsky was detained in Kiev on May 15 on suspicion of supporting the breakaway republics of Donbas and treason. Given the charges, the journalist may face up to 15 years in prison. The journalist has suggested that his arrest was a part of the Ukrainian authorities' campaign to gain the voter support ahead of the 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections.

READ MORE: Keeping Vyshinsky in Custody is 'Violation of Media Freedom' — EU Journo Group

Vyshinsky's detention has prompted widespread criticism by journalists' rights groups, which have said that such actions were unacceptable in a democratic society.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Vyshinsky's arrest was politically motivated, adding that the incident demonstrated 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 its 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, stressing that all OSCE members had pledged to create the necessary conditions to allow journalists to work freely.

A number of EU member states, including Germany and Portugal, have also condemned Kiev's actions. On November 1, a Ukrainian court extended Vyshinsky's arrest until December 28.