- Title: Ukrainians rally against detention of journalist in Russia
- Date: 6th October 2016
- Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (OCTOBER 6, 2016) (REUTERS) PEOPLE HOLDING POSTERS STANDING OUTSIDE RUSSIAN EMBASSY PLACARD ON FENCE DEPICTING UKRAINIAN JOURNALIST, ROMAN SUSHCHENKO, READING (English): "KREMLIN! STOP KIDNAPPING!" PEOPLE HOLDING POSTERS POSTER DEPICTING SUSHCHENKO, READING (English): "I'M ALSO A JOURNALIST. FREEDOM TO ROMAN SUSHCHENKO!" MAN HANGING POSTER ON FENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) CHIEF OF UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENT MEDIA TRADE UNION, IHOR CHAYKA, SAYING: "I said it on the first day when I found out about it (Sushchenko's detention). I said it is indeed a kidnapping and the Russian special services simply kidnapped a person and put him into jail. I personally think this situation must be legally interpreted as a kidnapping." WOMEN HOLDING UKRAINIAN FLAG AND POSTERS POSTER DEPICTING SUSHCHENKO, READING (English): "I'M ALSO A JOURNALIST. FREEDOM TO ROMAN SUSHCHENKO!" (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN JOURNALIST, YEVHEN YAKUNOV, SAYING: "I think it is a notorious provocation by the Russian special services, because any accusations on Roman of espionage are ridiculous. He is a good journalist and has always been doing journalism." PEOPLE HOLDING POSTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) CHIEF OF UKRINFORM INTERNATIONAL NEWS DEPARTMENT, NATALYA KOSTINA, SAYING: "Such accusations of espionage mean there will be little information from the Russian side. That's why we plan to address all international journalism organisations, international human rights organisations, other diplomatic bodies. We will address everyone who can help and we will support (Roman Sushchenko)." ACTIVISTS SHOUTING (Ukrainian): "FREEDOM TO SUSHCHENKO" POSTER ON FENCE POLICE OFFICERS, MEDIA AND ACTIVISTS OUTSIDE EMBASSY
- Embargoed: 21st October 2016 10:40
- Keywords: Roman Sushchenko Ukraine Russia journalist detention Russian federal security service FSB arrest spy
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- City: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA00152VACE1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Dozens of Ukrainian journalists gathered on Thursday (October 6) outside the Russian embassy in Kiev to protest against, as they claim, the illegal detention of Ukrinform news agency journalist Roman Sushchenko by the Russian federal security service (FSB) earlier this week.
"I said it on the first day when I found out about it (Sushchenko's detention). I said it is indeed a kidnapping and the Russian special services simply kidnapped a person and put him into jail. I personally think this situation must be legally interpreted as a kidnapping," chief of Ukrainian independent media trade union Ihor Chayka told Reuters.
The FSB, successor to the Soviet-era KGB secret police, identified the arrested man as Roman Sushchenko and said he was an intelligence colonel in Ukraine's defence ministry.
A spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence denied any contact between Sushchenko and the intelligence services.
Ukraine's state-run news agency Ukrinform said Sushchenko was its correspondent in France, who was in Moscow "on a private visit" on Sept. 30 when he was detained.
Russian news agencies said a Moscow court had charged Sushchenko with espionage and put him under pre-trial arrest for two months.
Ties between Moscow and Kiev have been tense since 2014, when, after an uprising toppled Ukraine's pro-Russian president, Russia annexed the Crimea region from Ukraine and a pro-Russian separatist insurgency erupted in the country's east. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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