Rossiya Segodnya Head Calls for Release of Baselessly Arrested Sputnik Azerbaijan Reporters
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - What is necessary right now is to release the groundlessly arrested Sputnik Azerbaijan journalists, thereby taking a step towards restoring relations between Moscow and Baku, said Dmitry Kiselev, the director general of the Rossiya Segodnya international media group, Sputnik's parent company.
Those who consciously took this step were perfectly well aware that in the absence of any objective claims to the work of journalists, it would inevitably complicate the country-to-country relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, Kiselev noted.
"Now, as it seems, it is possible to calmly release [Sputnik Azerbaijan's editorial director] Igor Kartavykh and [editor-in-chief] Yevgeny Belousov from captivity and thus take a noticeable step towards restoring relations between our countries. I also agree that movement towards this restoration is necessary on both sides," Kiselev said.
Sputnik Azerbaijan journalists, who are Russian citizens, have been behind bars in Azerbaijan for exactly a month on unfounded charges, Kiselev said. He also pointed out that the editorial policy of the entire media group, including the Sputnik division, has always been aimed at "strengthening friendly and allied ties with the countries where we are present."
