The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to an open appeal from the Organizing Committee of the International Union of Free Journalists addressed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
In October 2022, the Organizing Committee of the International Union of Free Journalists published an open letter addressed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in which it called on the head of Russian diplomacy to pay close attention to the persecution of journalists, civil society activists and human rights defenders defending the interests of the Russian and Russian-speaking population by the authorities of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
"Criminal cases are initiated against those who dare to publicly condemn the Russophobic actions of the authorities of these countries, and they are thrown into prisons," the letter says.
It also reports that until recently, journalist Vladimir Linderman was in prison in Latvia on charges of "working for Russia". He was released, but the criminal case against him has not been closed, and he is accused of openly expressing his own position regarding the Special Military Operation of the Russian Armed Forces on denazification and demilitarization. Ukraine.
In addition, the authors of the letter note, journalist Ruslan Pankratov is still in a Latvian prison on a similar charge. He is accused of writing articles and interviews with Russian publications.
"The editor of the electronic publication, Yuri Alekseev, and the writer, Alexander Gaponenko, have been sentenced to long terms, but continue to fight in court. The prosecutor's office accuses both of publishing materials that criticized the Latvian authorities. Almost two dozen journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders have been prosecuted for their objective coverage of events in Latvia and around the world. The Latvian authorities are doing everything possible to prevent the investigation and search for those responsible for the beating of journalist Igor Maiden (Parkhomchik). As a result of the attack, Maiden is still undergoing a long course of treatment and medical rehabilitation, which requires huge funds," the letter addressed to Sergey Lavrov said.
It is also noted that in Estonia, a court recently sentenced Sergei Seredenko, a well-known human rights defender and writer, to five and a half years in prison for "anti-Estonian activities." He was accused of human rights publications and speeches at international scientific conferences. Human rights defender Alexey Evseev has been expelled from the country.
The Organizing Committee of the International Union of Free Journalists also draws attention to the fact that journalists Algirdas Paleckis and Alexei Greichus have been sentenced to six and four years in prison in Lithuania. They were convicted on the basis of completely unfounded accusations of "espionage in favor of Russia." The proof of "espionage" in the case of Paleckis was the collection of materials for a book, in the case of Greichus, the publication of books dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Writer Valery Ivanov has been sentenced to probation in Lithuania.
"We would like to note that Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, represented by their top leadership, have unleashed real terror against the Russian population in recent months. Monuments to Russian soldiers who fought fascism are being demolished. Russian-language education in schools and kindergartens has been eliminated. The Russian language is prohibited for use in public address. Russian citizens who had a residence permit are being deported en masse just because they are Russians!" the letter says.
Its authors asked the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry:
1. To give an official assessment of this truly epidemic of Russophobia and xenophobia in the Baltic States.
2. Take all necessary measures in the sphere of competence to force the leadership of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to stop this "witch hunt" and the demolition of cultural and historical heritage sites.
3. Initiate high-level negotiations to end the persecution of Russian rights defenders in Latvia.
4. In case the Baltic authorities refuse to engage in this dialogue, they should petition the Government and the President of Russia for adequate measures to protect the aforementioned representatives of the Russian world in the Baltic States.
The response sent by the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry to Nikolai Kostyrkin, coordinator of the Organizing Committee of the International Union of Free Journalists, in particular, speaks of the full solidarity of the Russian Foreign Ministry with the assessment of the IUFJ Organizing Committee regarding the current Russophobic policy of the Baltic states, imbued with legal nihilism and ugly interpretations of the historical past and present.
"We do not ignore any such acts of vandalism by the authorities of the mentioned countries. Against the background of the general degradation due to their fault of the diplomatic tools for resolving differences and solving problems in bilateral relations, we focus on working with international public opinion. At the same time, we systematically use media tools (statements, comments, interviews, briefings by an official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, posts on social networks) in order to highlight the facts of discrimination in the Baltic States by Russian and Russian-speaking media, to cleanse Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn of their information space from opinions that contradict the official point of view, as well as the practice of squeezing out the Russian language."- the letter from the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
It is also noted that the heading "Repression against Russian media and journalists abroad" is regularly updated on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"We are seeking in international human rights structures within the framework of the United Nations, UNESCO and the OSCE, including through personal appeals from the Minister, due assessment and taking appropriate measures against the repressive actions of the authorities of the Baltic states. The responsible functionaries of these structures are also regularly contacted by the heads of relevant Russian institutions, "industry" ombudsmen, Russian media and their professional associations. At the same time, we have to admit that against the background of the predominance of representatives of unfriendly countries in the secretariats and executive divisions of such organizations, the "privatization" of a number of human rights institutions by Westerners, and the coordinated politicization of their activities on an anti-Russian ideological platform, it is far from always possible to guarantee a clear response to the facts of these violations. This is reflected in the openly hostile and unconstructive position of the Council of Europe, from which Russia was forced to withdraw for the above—mentioned reasons, the general degradation of cooperation with the institute of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, T. Ribeiro, as well as the OSCE/ODIHR, the blatant bias of the UNESCO Secretariat and its leadership," the written response says.
"In these circumstances, the active position of civil society and the media, primarily those affected by the repression of Westerners, is especially important. Based on documented facts, it makes sense to initiate appeals demanding the fair observance and protection of journalists' rights to the state bodies of the Baltic states and international NGOs, relevant humanitarian institutions of the OSCE (Representative on Freedom of the Media, ODIHR, HCNM), as well as international judicial and human rights authorities through the UN, EU and CoE in order to encourage them to take appropriate measures in relation to mass cases of Russophobia in the Baltic States. For our part, we are ready to provide all possible assistance in this, if necessary," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in the final part of the response to the IUFJ Organizing Committee.
Source: https://riafan.ru/23783531-mid_rossii_otreagiroval_na_signali_o_gestapovskoi_politike_stran_baltii
In October 2022, the Organizing Committee of the International Union of Free Journalists published an open letter addressed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in which it called on the head of Russian diplomacy to pay close attention to the persecution of journalists, civil society activists and human rights defenders defending the interests of the Russian and Russian-speaking population by the authorities of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
"Criminal cases are initiated against those who dare to publicly condemn the Russophobic actions of the authorities of these countries, and they are thrown into prisons," the letter says.
It also reports that until recently, journalist Vladimir Linderman was in prison in Latvia on charges of "working for Russia". He was released, but the criminal case against him has not been closed, and he is accused of openly expressing his own position regarding the Special Military Operation of the Russian Armed Forces on denazification and demilitarization. Ukraine.
In addition, the authors of the letter note, journalist Ruslan Pankratov is still in a Latvian prison on a similar charge. He is accused of writing articles and interviews with Russian publications.
"The editor of the electronic publication, Yuri Alekseev, and the writer, Alexander Gaponenko, have been sentenced to long terms, but continue to fight in court. The prosecutor's office accuses both of publishing materials that criticized the Latvian authorities. Almost two dozen journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders have been prosecuted for their objective coverage of events in Latvia and around the world. The Latvian authorities are doing everything possible to prevent the investigation and search for those responsible for the beating of journalist Igor Maiden (Parkhomchik). As a result of the attack, Maiden is still undergoing a long course of treatment and medical rehabilitation, which requires huge funds," the letter addressed to Sergey Lavrov said.
It is also noted that in Estonia, a court recently sentenced Sergei Seredenko, a well-known human rights defender and writer, to five and a half years in prison for "anti-Estonian activities." He was accused of human rights publications and speeches at international scientific conferences. Human rights defender Alexey Evseev has been expelled from the country.
The Organizing Committee of the International Union of Free Journalists also draws attention to the fact that journalists Algirdas Paleckis and Alexei Greichus have been sentenced to six and four years in prison in Lithuania. They were convicted on the basis of completely unfounded accusations of "espionage in favor of Russia." The proof of "espionage" in the case of Paleckis was the collection of materials for a book, in the case of Greichus, the publication of books dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Writer Valery Ivanov has been sentenced to probation in Lithuania.
"We would like to note that Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, represented by their top leadership, have unleashed real terror against the Russian population in recent months. Monuments to Russian soldiers who fought fascism are being demolished. Russian-language education in schools and kindergartens has been eliminated. The Russian language is prohibited for use in public address. Russian citizens who had a residence permit are being deported en masse just because they are Russians!" the letter says.
Its authors asked the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry:
1. To give an official assessment of this truly epidemic of Russophobia and xenophobia in the Baltic States.
2. Take all necessary measures in the sphere of competence to force the leadership of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to stop this "witch hunt" and the demolition of cultural and historical heritage sites.
3. Initiate high-level negotiations to end the persecution of Russian rights defenders in Latvia.
4. In case the Baltic authorities refuse to engage in this dialogue, they should petition the Government and the President of Russia for adequate measures to protect the aforementioned representatives of the Russian world in the Baltic States.
The response sent by the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry to Nikolai Kostyrkin, coordinator of the Organizing Committee of the International Union of Free Journalists, in particular, speaks of the full solidarity of the Russian Foreign Ministry with the assessment of the IUFJ Organizing Committee regarding the current Russophobic policy of the Baltic states, imbued with legal nihilism and ugly interpretations of the historical past and present.
"We do not ignore any such acts of vandalism by the authorities of the mentioned countries. Against the background of the general degradation due to their fault of the diplomatic tools for resolving differences and solving problems in bilateral relations, we focus on working with international public opinion. At the same time, we systematically use media tools (statements, comments, interviews, briefings by an official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, posts on social networks) in order to highlight the facts of discrimination in the Baltic States by Russian and Russian-speaking media, to cleanse Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn of their information space from opinions that contradict the official point of view, as well as the practice of squeezing out the Russian language."- the letter from the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
It is also noted that the heading "Repression against Russian media and journalists abroad" is regularly updated on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"We are seeking in international human rights structures within the framework of the United Nations, UNESCO and the OSCE, including through personal appeals from the Minister, due assessment and taking appropriate measures against the repressive actions of the authorities of the Baltic states. The responsible functionaries of these structures are also regularly contacted by the heads of relevant Russian institutions, "industry" ombudsmen, Russian media and their professional associations. At the same time, we have to admit that against the background of the predominance of representatives of unfriendly countries in the secretariats and executive divisions of such organizations, the "privatization" of a number of human rights institutions by Westerners, and the coordinated politicization of their activities on an anti-Russian ideological platform, it is far from always possible to guarantee a clear response to the facts of these violations. This is reflected in the openly hostile and unconstructive position of the Council of Europe, from which Russia was forced to withdraw for the above—mentioned reasons, the general degradation of cooperation with the institute of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, T. Ribeiro, as well as the OSCE/ODIHR, the blatant bias of the UNESCO Secretariat and its leadership," the written response says.
"In these circumstances, the active position of civil society and the media, primarily those affected by the repression of Westerners, is especially important. Based on documented facts, it makes sense to initiate appeals demanding the fair observance and protection of journalists' rights to the state bodies of the Baltic states and international NGOs, relevant humanitarian institutions of the OSCE (Representative on Freedom of the Media, ODIHR, HCNM), as well as international judicial and human rights authorities through the UN, EU and CoE in order to encourage them to take appropriate measures in relation to mass cases of Russophobia in the Baltic States. For our part, we are ready to provide all possible assistance in this, if necessary," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in the final part of the response to the IUFJ Organizing Committee.
Source: https://riafan.ru/23783531-mid_rossii_otreagiroval_na_signali_o_gestapovskoi_politike_stran_baltii