MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. Moscow is shocked by the cynical murder of Russian citizen Pavel Sheremet in the center of Kiev. The journalist’s move to Ukraine proved to be fatal for him whereas nothing threatened him in Russia in any time, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"We’re shocked by the cynical murder of Russian citizen Pavel Sheremet in the center of Kiev. In Russia, he was known and respected as a journalist and a high-level professional," the statement said.
"Pavel Sheremet was a principled person who was frequently critical of the authorities. His civil position was clearly expressed in speeches and publications and his viewpoint far from always coincided with the official view. However, in Russia, despite divergences in views, he was never threatened with physical violence for professional activity," the Foreign Ministry’s statement said.
"Unfortunately, his move to Ukraine proved to be fatal for him. Sheremet has become a new victim of the system, which has developed in that country," the statement said.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry expects an objective and through investigation into the Russian citizen’s death, the statement said.
"We hope that the chain of unpunished murders will be broken after all. We expect an objective and thorough investigation of these crimes and the prosecution of all those guilty," the ministry said.
At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that "in the realities of today’s Ukraine, immediately persons have appeared who have instantly determined in their conscience poisoned by Russophobia that there is some ‘Russian trace’ in this cruel massacre."
As the Russian Foreign Ministry said, this is not the first murder of a journalist in Ukraine.
"Up to date, there have been no convincing results on the case of Georgy Gongadze, Oles Buzina, and also journalists killed in the conflict area in the country’s southeast," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"We’re urging the relevant international structures and human rights organizations to use all of their influence on official Kiev to make Ukraine comply with the fundamental international law principles for ensuring the security of journalists," the ministry said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry conveyed condolences to the relatives and the family of the murdered journalist and also compassion for the journalist community.