Ukrainian Witch Hunt: RIA Novosti’s Journalist in Kiev Arrested and Interrogated For Treason
Another journalist witch hunt in Kiev: our colleague from RIA News Ukraine, Kirill Vyshinsky, was detained by the security agents on his own doorstep. He was arrested, interrogated, and afterward told that he was suspected of treason. Today, the agents searched the office of RIA News for more than eight hours.
Evgeny Nipod with the details.
These makeshift graphs are supposed to prove the guilt of Kirill Vyshinsky, the head of RIA News Ukraine. The incriminating data that allegedly proves his criminal activities was revealed to local journalists at a special briefing.
Viktor Kononenko, deputy chief of security services: "We've discovered that in 2014, Vyshinsky was ordered to visit the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in order to conduct a disruptive information campaign. Together with his subordinates, he filmed pieces that justified the annexation of Crimea and its reconciliation with Russia. For his actions, Kirill Vyshinsky was awarded a State Medal for Returning Crimea by a closed decree of the Russian President.”
The briefing started at the same time as the opening ceremony of the Crimea Bridge. Rossiya Segodnya is sure it wasn't a coincidence.
Dimitri Kiselyov, CEO of Russia Today: "It's probably a minor revenge for the bridge timed specifically to distract attention from its opening. The Ukrainian regime has shown its true nature".
The journalist was detained early in the morning next to his car. Searches were conducted in the offices of RIA and the apartments of several reporters.
Margarita Simonyan, RT editor-in-chief: "Our full-time employees were detained today. We know for sure that one of their apartments was searched maybe even more than one. What happened to our four journalists remains unclear. According to some information provided by their lawyers, they are being interrogated. We also have reasons to believe that one of our partners will be charged with treason".
RIA News Ukraine is partners with Russia Today. It's officially registered in Ukraine in compliance with the local legislation.
Dimitri Gornostaev, RT deputy editor-in-chief: "Our reporters have been working there for a long time, some for over 10 years. Some of them used to work in the Ukrainian media and know their counterparts and Ukrainian officials personally. They were working in an absolutely legal manner as journalists and editors".
And now the Ukrainian authorities claim that the agency is an instrument of propaganda which Russia has long been using against Ukraine.
"Ukrainian security agents uncovered the activities of a media network run by Russia. Law enforcement asserts that it was used to carry out an information war against Ukraine by the aggressors".
The searches continued until late in the evening said reporter Ludmila Lysenko who we managed to contact only a couple of hours ago.
Dmitry Gornostayev: "We're monitoring her situation. She's been released by the security services. The situation happened against the background of the arrest of the reporter of the RIA News Ukraine website which is our partner website, although it's not related to our agency. Kirill Vyshinsky is currently under arrest".
It's not the first time journalists have come under pressure in Ukraine.
Yelena Boyko, journalist: "People have been beaten, their families threatened, their children kidnapped. I also fell into this trap, because despite my Ukrainian citizenship I was working with VGTRK which was the reason why they pressed charges".
Political analysts believe the Ukrainian authorities are purging the media of dissidents. Curiously enough, despite the arrests of journalists Ukraine received a $35 million grant from the US to develop its media. The goal of the program, quote: "to increase the civic role of the media in Ukraine's democratic processes." However, the impact of repressions against journalists in these processes is usually ignored by the Western politicians.
Evgeny Nipod, Olga Lvukhina Vesti.