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Journalists detained in Ukraine in ‘retaliation for truth’ — Russian lawmaker

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MOSCOW, May 21. /ITAR-TASS/. The detention of two Russian journalists working for the LifeNews TV channel, is Kiev’s act of retaliation for the truth, the chairman of Russia’s State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee, Alexei Pushkov, said on Wednesday, as he presented a draft statement by the Russian lower house of parliament demanding an immediate release of the journalists in Ukraine.

“The regime in Kiev is trying to conceal the truth about what is happening and to hide its original sin. This is an act of retaliation for the truth,” Pushkov said, adding that the detained journalists had released footage showing a UN-marked helicopter being used by Kiev’s armed forces in an operation against civilians in the east. Kiev has denied the incident all along.

“The order to find and arrest them was given immediately after that,” he said.

LifeNews journalists Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saichenko were detained by Ukraine’s National Guards near the city Kramatorsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. The journalists last contacted their colleagues at LifeNews on Sunday, May 18.

Deputy Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Viktoria Syumar earlier accused them of abetting terrorism, claiming they were “members of terrorist groups".

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