Photo credit: news2world.net
An internet campaign in support of journalists threatened by Estonian authorities has been organized by their colleagues, Sputnik reports. The #SputnikSila campaign was initiated by journalist Kirill Vyshinsky. He currently holds the post of executive director of MIA Rossiya Segodnya but some time ago he spent more than a year in a Ukrainian prison.
The symbols of the campaign are a yellow vest and a kettlebell painted in the signature yellow color. It says, "Rely on us!" in English.
According to Vyshinsky, it does not matter in what form the pressure of the authorities is expressed, it still makes people unite their effort. They realize what they are doing and why. He is sure that Estonian colleagues and everyone else perfectly understand why they are being pressured, and therefore support is especially important for them.
Vyshinsky emphasized that he did not want everything that was happening to be perceived too tragically, and therefore the action of support was filled with a bit of humor and irony.
Evgeny Primakov, member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, journalist Armen Gasparyan, head of the National Values Protection Fund and head of the Russian Public Chamber’s Commission for the Development of the Information Community, Media and Mass Communications, Alexander Malkevich have already joined the action. The campaign was supported by representatives of Sputnik news agency from Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania and other countries.
The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova also spoke in support of Russian journalists. She held a department briefing in a yellow vest.
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.
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
