Journalist Sharoiko arrested in order to testify against Sushchenko - lawyer

Sushchenko's lawyer, Mark Feygin, said this in an interview with the Fakty I Kommentarii newspaper.

"They want to repeat with Sushchenko what the KGB of Belarus did with another Ukrainian journalist, Pavlo Sharoiko. He was arrested in Minsk a few months ago, and he has already testified that he is a career officer of the Ukrainian intelligence services. The FSB of Russia wants Sushchenko to admit before the camera that he is not a journalist, but a career officer of the Main Intelligence Department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, like Sharoiko. Moscow is well aware that if they try to exert pressure on Sushchenko, I will not keep silent, but I will immediately come out to the international media and tell everything. So they want to exclude me from the process at any cost," Feygin said.

He suggested that Sharoiko could be a witness in the Sushchenko case.

"I do not rule out that Sharoiko was captured specially to testify against Sushchenko, that he is also a member of Ukrainian military intelligence. They will start twisting his hands and say: you confessed that you are a spy, so now testify against Sushchenko. If you said 'A,' say 'B,'" the lawyer said.

As reported, Ukrinform's correspondent in France, Roman Sushchenko, in violation of international rules, was detained on September 30, 2016 in Moscow, where he arrived on a private trip. On October 7, he was charged with "espionage." Russia's FSB stated that Sushchenko is a member of the Main Intelligence Department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. The latter denied this statement.

On November 27, Moscow City Court extended Sushchenko's detention for two months - until January 30, 2018. The trial is likely to begin in January. 

Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Sharoiko, a UA:Ukrainian Radio correspondent in Belarus, was arrested in Minsk on October 25. He is charged with espionage.

Sharoiko is charged with the creation of an agent network in the country. The Belarusian KGB states that after his arrest, Sharoiko admitted that "he is an intelligence officer and works undercover in the rank of a colonel."

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