All news

Russia’s NTV channel asks Turkish ambassador to help in release of its camera crew

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Russian journalists Alexei Petrushko and Ivan Malyshkin, who were in Istanbul, could not be contacted

MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. Vadim Takmenev, the Russian NTV broadcaster’s deputy chief producer and TV host, has asked Turkey’s Ambassador in Moscow Mehmet Samsar to help in release of the channel’s camera crew.

"I hope that we will be heard at least at Turkey’s embassy in Moscow. Dear Mr. Ambassador, could you answer just one question: if our journalists, being in the line of duty, did break certain rules, your country’s authorities could have immediately deported them, deprived them of visas, let it be even for life. But on what grounds do your country’s authorities keep them behind bars without a chance to get in contact with someone?" Takmenev said in the Central Television program on Saturday

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that on December 3, the Russian journalists Alexei Petrushko and Ivan Malyshkin, who were in Istanbul, could not be contacted. The ministry pointed out that the last contact with them was on Thursday, when the Russian reporters said that they had been detained by unknown people and were taken by them somewhere. Earlier, the broadcaster said that their employees stopped getting in touch after they informed the editorial office about their detention by police officers near Istanbul.