MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. The Russian Embassy to Estonia joins the probe into the incident in which Estonian border guards detained a shooting team of the All-Russian Television and Radio Network (VGTRK) on the Estonian-Russian border on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
"We must look into details of the incident, but this looks very much like another manifestation of physical and political censorship when not just restrictions are imposed on the work of journalists but physical methods are applied," Zakharova said.
"Our embassy joins, of course, we will be looking into the situation," Zakharova said.
"We have for several years been amid an active phase of resistance to the activity of Russian journalists, in particular in countries of the European Union," she said.
"But it is the European Union that works out these norms and law codes that are aimed to restrict such activity and must, on the contrary, guarantee immunity and the freedom of expression of thoughts and position to the journalists," Zakharova noted.
Estonian border guards took away the journalists’ papers, telephones and equipment, the vesti.ru website said earlier on Thursday.
"VGTRK journalist Nikolay Vasilyev and his shooting crew were detained on the border with Estonia. The journalists spent several hours at the Koidula checkpoint on the Estonian-Russian border unable to enter the territory of Russia. Their papers, telephones and professional equipment were taken away," vesti.ru said.
Estonian border guards have freed the VGTRK shooting crew after five hours of detention.