Kremlin dubs Crimean journalists, activists as `terrorists`

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - 21:13 (EEST) Section: Latest news

Authorities in Moscow have listed 22 people who were born on Ukraine`s Crimea Peninsula as ”terrorists and extremists”, according to RFE/RL.
The list, published on July 12 by Russia`s Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring), includes journalists, civil activists, and political prisoners who have criticized Moscow`s occupation and illegal annexation of Ukraine`s Crimea region, RFE/RL reported Tuesday.
Mykola Semena, a contributor to a news site about Crimea that is run by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, is also on the list.
Semena has been charged by officials in Russia-annexed Crimea with using media to make separatist calls.
Among the listed is blogger Yuriy Ilchenko, who was recently arrested over an article condemning Russia`s seizure and annexation of Crimea.
The list also names several Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia – including Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Oleksiy Chemiy, and the recently freed Hennadiy Afanasyev.
Rosfinmonitoring reports directly to the Russian president.
The United States, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and international media rights groups have all expressed concern about a clampdown on independent journalists and activists in the Russian-occupied territory.