ID :
653017
Mon, 01/23/2023 - 17:00

Russia to Seek Sputnik Lithuania Editor's Release Via International Organizations

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia will seek the release of Sputnik Lithuania editor Marat Kasem, who was arrested in Latvia, through relevant international organizations, including the UN and the OSCE, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. "We will work to involve relevant international organizations, including the UN and UNESCO, in the release of the Sputnik Lithuania editor. I'm not sure if there's anything glimmering in the OSCE, but we will also accuse the OSCE of inaction. If this structure still positions itself in some capacity, it must produce a result," Zakharova told reporters. Russia expects "that human rights non-governmental organizations will react accordingly to the politically motivated persecution of Marat Kasem," she added. "Political terror in Latvia must be put to an end, and Marat Kasem must be released and resume his professional activities," she concluded. Kasem, a Latvian national working at Sputnik Lithuania editorial desk in Moscow-based international media group Rossiya Segodnya, was detained during a trip to the Latvian capital on January 3 and sent to the Riga Central Prison two days later on accusation of having violated EU sanctions against Russia as well as of espionage — an offense punished by up to 20 years in prison. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the detention was an act of revenge against the Russian media, adding that the journalist felt politically persecuted and spoke about it often. Read more: https://sputniknews.com/20230112/russia-to-seek-sputnik-lithuania-editors-release-via-international-organizations-1106250637.html

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