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OSCE representative urges Ukraine to solve murder of reporter Sheremet

Harlem Desir noted, that "impunity for such crimes is unacceptable and breeds further violence"

VIENNA, July 20. /TASS/. OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir has urged the Ukrainian officials to finish the investigation of the murder of reporter Pavel Sheremet and bring its perpetrators and masterminds to justice, the OSCE press service informed on Saturday.

"Three years on, Pavel Sheremet’s murder remains unsolved and continues to exert a chilling effect on freedom of expression, media freedom and safety of journalists," the press service quotes Desir as saying. "The Ukrainian authorities have a duty to ensure that his murder, as well as all other attacks on and killings of journalists, are prosecuted and that the perpetrators and masterminds behind these crimes are brought to justice. Impunity for such crimes is unacceptable and breeds further violence."

On the morning of July 20, reporters, politicians, public figures, diplomats and regular citizens came to honor the memory of Sheremet near the site where he was murdered three years ago.

Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian journalist Pavel Sheremet worked for the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper and was an anchorman on Vesti radio. The prominent 44-year-old journalist was killed in a car blast that rocked downtown Kiev on July 20, 2016. The Kiev police categorized this crime as premeditated murder. The perpetrators have not been found to date.

In July 2017, the Ukrainian National Police classified all court decisions in relation to the murder. More than 200 documents were deleted from the Unified State Register of Court Decisions, and the public is not aware of how many investigators are currently working on the case.