Ukraine calls on UN to condemn Russia for Sushchenko's imprisonment

20.10.2018 11:03

Ukrinform

The persecution of journalists, as well as their illegal detention, as was the case with Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko, remains the usual tactic used by the Kremlin to reduce the counteraction to its own propaganda, as well as to justify armed aggression and the occupation of Ukrainian territories.

First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations Oleg Nikolenko made such a statement at a meeting of the Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, October 19, according to an Ukrinform reporter.

"Targeting Ukrainian activists and journalists has become a tactic that Russia itself uses against my country. For one, we reiterate our resolute protest against ongoing unlawful actions of the Russian Federation towards Roman Sushchenko, a foreign correspondent for Ukrainian online news agency Ukrinform, who has been put behind bars and prosecuted by the Russian authorities including for his opposition to the Russian occupation of Ukraine's Crimea," Nikolenko said.

He said Ukraine demands that Russia immediately release Roman Sushchenko. "We also call on Member States to condemn this cynical crime against fundamental human rights and step up political and diplomatic pressure on the Russian Federation to ensure that all illegally detained citizens of Ukraine are released and guaranteed safe return home," the Ukrainian diplomat said.

He also recalled the persecution by the Russian occupation regime of other activists who tell the true story of occupation. "Such is the case of Ukrainian writer and journalist Stanislav Aseyev (pen name Stanislav Vasin), who has stayed in Donetsk since it was occupied by Russia-controlled and supported terrorists, was writing articles in top Ukrainian media outlets about the situation in Donbas and his life under occupation," Nikolenko said, adding that in mid-2017 Aseyev was kidnapped and incarcerated by the occupation forces under the absurd charges.

At the same time, the Ukrainian diplomat drew attention to the fact that the Russian authorities had created "exclusion zones" for Ukrainian media outlets in Crimea and occupied territories of Donbas. The Ukrainian media has been eliminated and replaced by the Russian propaganda sources, he added.

"It is clear that such hybrid hostile practices involving state-controlled media are a direct threat to United Nations values," Ukraine's representative said.

The Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly is one of the six main committees of the General Assembly. It considers a broad range of issues, including questions relating to information and media freedom, as well as harassment and persecution of journalists.

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