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The head of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC) Valery Fadeev has sent messages to the OSCE's media freedom representative Harlem Desir and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović, RIA Novosti reports. He asked them to take the issue of pressure from the Estonian authorities on the Russian media under their personal control.
According to Fadeev, information about what is happening with Sputnik news agency is of great concern. He called Tallinn’s pressure unprecedented.
The Estonian authorities threatened reporters that they would start criminal cases against them. Employees of the news agency are required to end their working contracts with the parent organization, MIA Rossiya Segonya, no later than the beginning of next year. At the same time, Tallinn calls the sanctions imposed by the European Union as the reason for its claim.
The HRC called these requirements contrary to key international and European standards that guarantee freedom of the media and the independence of journalists.
In turn, the Estonian police do not acknowledge that they violate the laws. They explain that the director general of MIA Rossiya Segonya Dmitry Kiselev is under European sanctions. And the restrictions that apply to Kiselyov presuppose the freezing of his assets. In addition, it is forbidden to work for persons under sanctions and provide services to them.
Russkiy Mir
