OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media urges to release Aseev immediately

The corresponding statement has been published on OSCE website.

“I strongly denounce the imprisonment of Stanislav Aseev and I am shocked by his completely illegal conviction and sentencing to 15 years in jail. I reiterate that he must be released immediately,” reads the statement.

The Representative further called for the release of another blogger and contributor to the Ukrainian Service of RFE/RL, Oleh Halaziuk, who has also been detained by the armed formations in the non-government-controlled area of the Donetsk region since August 2017.

“Aseev and Halaziuk were among the very few independent journalists who worked and reported from the non-government controlled area of Donetsk region. The silencing of independent journalists is a crime against the freedom of expression and it is unacceptable. I again call on all OSCE participating States to increase pressure on any relevant actors to release both Aseev and Halaziuk,” Désir stated.

As reported, Ukrainian journalist, columnist of Donbas.Realities Radio Liberty’s project Stanislav Aseev was sentenced to 15 years in prison, Russian-backed militants of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” formation reported in their media on October 22.

Columnist of Donbas.Realities Radio Liberty’s project Stanislav Aseev has been held captive by the Russian-controlled “Donetsk People’s Republic” formation since May or June 2017, according to various data. He went missing and nothing was known about him for two weeks. Later, the “DPR” informed about his detention and charged Aseev for attempting to spy for Ukraine.

The demand to release Aseev has already been made public by the European Federation of Journalists and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.

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