Official complaints signed by Yelena Cherysheva, the head of Sputnik Estonia, will be forwarded to Reporters Without Borders, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media, the UNESCO Communication and Information Sector, the European Federation of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists.
"We consider the denial of accreditation an attack on freedom of speech," Cherysheva said.
On October 6, the Estonian Defense Ministry denied Sputnik Estonia accreditation for a news conference with Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, his Estonian counterpart Hannes Hanso, Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces Riho Terras and other officials. A letter from the Defense Ministry explained the refusal by accusing Sputnik of engaging in "propaganda for Putin’s regime." The journalists were asked "not to contact the Estonian Defense Ministry in the future."
Sputnik Estonia journalists have repeatedly faced discrimination despite the international organization Reporters Without Borders ranking Estonia 14th out of 180 countries for freedom of speech.
Sputnik (sputniknews.com) is a news agency and radio network with multimedia news hubs in dozens of countries. Sputnik broadcasts through its websites in over 30 languages, as well as on analogue and digital radio, mobile apps, and social media. Sputnik newswires, available by subscription, 24/7 in English, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese.
