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Moscow urges world community to denounce Kiev’s repressive policies towards media

At the same time, the ministry emphasized that Ukrainian media outlets enjoy in Russia "a full professional freedom of action"

MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. Moscow urges the world community to denounce Kiev’s repressive policies towards the media, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday in connection with an expulsion from Ukraine of journalist Natalya Goncharova from Rossiya 24 television channel.

On March 17, the Ukrainian Security Service said it had deported Goncharova to Russia, banning her for three years from entering the country. As the reason, it cited Goncharova’s video plots it deemed ‘anti-Ukrainian’. "Allegedly provocative materials, distorting the image of Ukraine and damaging its international prestige were cited as a pretext for this outrageous incident," the ministry said.

"In actual fact, it is exactly these actions by the Ukrainian authorities, aimed at a total cleansing of the country's information space, that fully discredit Ukraine as member of the international community," the Foreign Ministry went on. "Worst totalitarian practicea of curbing dissidence are practiced in Europe in the 21st century by Kiev’s behest," it said.

The ministry emphasized that Ukrainian media outlets enjoy in Russia "a full professional freedom of action, and we demand the same attitude to our media workers in Ukraine".

"We urge the international community, concerned international institutions and nongovernmental organizations to condemn Ukraine’s repressive policies towards the mass media," the Foreign Ministry summed up.