The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has opened criminal proceedings against three journalists – two Americans and a Romanian who had crossed “illegally” the border between Russia and Ukraine in order to report in the Kursk region, Agerpress agency reported, citing Russian and Western news agencies.
The two American journalists – Catherine Dice and Fletcher Jung work for the Australian ABC channel (ABC), and the Romanian Mircea Barbu - for the information site Hotnews, Russian news agencies reported, quoted by Agerpress.
The Russian authorities accuse the journalists of “illegally crossing the border of the Russian Federation in the Kursk region”, the FSB said in a press release quoted by Russian media, Agerpress reports.
The journalists in question do not appear to be in Russia, but risk five years in prison under the Russian Criminal Code, Agerpress notes.
Since August 17, criminal cases have been opened against 12 foreign journalists on similar charges, the FSB specifies, as quoted by Ria Novosti. Similar procedures are being conducted against journalists from the American television channel CNN (CNN), the Italian channel RAI (RAI) and the German media Deutsche Welle.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania condemned the actions of the Russian authorities towards the journalists, stressing that the representatives of the press should be protected and not silenced, reports Agerpres.
„We strongly condemn Russia's decision to open criminal investigations against journalists, including Mircea Barbu, for reporting from Kursk. This is a gross violation of press freedom and fundamental rights. "Journalists must be protected, not silenced," the Romanian ministry said on the "Ex" social network, quoted by BTA.
The Romanian National Audiovisual Council today demanded protection for journalist Mircea Barbu and condemned the decision of the Russian Federal Security Service to initiate criminal prosecutions against journalists covering conflict zones, Agerpress also informs.
The Romanian National Audiovisual Council states that Mircea Barbu's reports, which are available online, were made with professionalism and cannot be mistaken for hostile acts of propaganda.
„Militaries engaged in hostilities should not view journalists covering events in conflict zones as enemies. Journalists must be protected so that they can provide the public with information that is as close as possible to the reality on the ground. Their persecution is an attack on freedom of information and free access to information of exceptional public interest”, declared the Romanian National Audiovisual Council.
In connection with the situation, the council plans to contact European organizations for the protection of journalists, and a letter of protest will be sent to the Russian embassy in Bucharest, informs the Romanian news agency.