MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Kirill Vyshinsky fought against those who do not respect freedom of speech, and his passing is a colossal loss for world journalism, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated during an broadcast on the Rossiya-24 television channel.

Executive Director of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency and member of the Human Rights Council (HRC) Kirill Vyshinsky passed away at the age of 58 after a long illness.

"This man was a huge professional, a comrade who contributed immensely to journalism worldwide. First and foremost, perhaps, by being one of the first to become a true fighter against lies, against those who clearly do not respect or acknowledge freedom of speech," Zakharova noted. "This is a person who, despite enduring the dungeons of the Kiev regime, found the strength after his release to continue fighting for others, for his comrades."

"This is a colossal loss for journalism worldwide. He was a true, not a fake, a true fighter for human rights, for freedom of speech," the diplomat emphasized.