Western Media Silent About Detention of RIA Novosti Ukraine Head – Analyst

Dragana Trifkovic for SPUTNIK

Friday marks the 100th day since the arrest of Kirill Vyshinsky, the head of the RIA Novosti Ukraine portal, by Ukrainian authorities. Sputnik discussed this with Dragana Trifkovic, head of the Belgrade-based Center for Geostrategic Studies.

Sputnik: After 100 days in confinement what is known about Vyshinsky and the prospects of him being released?

Dragana Trifkovic: Unfortunately, we didn’t learn much about the arrest of Mr. Vyshinsky except the scarce explanations given immediately after the arrest that he was charged with high treason. Ukraine has been in a deep systemic crisis for years, and such cases only deepen this crisis and send a very bad picture to the world. I think that the international community should much more seriously deal with the issue of human rights in Ukraine. It is impermissible that they close their eyes in such cases. It is difficult to assess when Mr. Vyshinsky will be released because Ukraine does not adhere to international rules and norms when it comes to media freedom and the right of journalists to perform their job unhindered. We can only hope that the international public will take a clearer stand on this case and will demand that Ukraine respects human rights.

READ MORE: #TruthNotTreason: Kirill Vyshinsky’s 100 Days Behind Bars in Ukraine

Sputnik: In your view, what are the main reasons behind his confinement now?