A group of Members of the European Parliament have signed a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, with a demand to secure the release of the Ukrainian journalist, Roman Sushchenko, detained in Russia on espionage charges October 3.
Members of the European Parliament are ”particularly concerned” by the illegal detention of Roman Sushchenko, Ukrainian journalist, by the authorities of Russian Federation since September 30, 2016, the MEPs wrote, according to the letter`s text published on the web page of Michal Boni, Vice-Head of the Delegation ”European Union – Moldova”, Member of the Delegation ”European Union – Ukraine”, and member of the LIBE Committee who was the initiator of the move.
The deputies consider it ”to be a worrying signal for any potential visitor to Russian Federation.”
According to the current situation, everybody may be accused of espionage and be detained, they say.
”Roman Sushchenko has asolid reputation of good professional, working for several years in France – member country of the Nordic Cooperation Format, and all the accusation towards him are considered nothing more, than further illegal act towards Ukrainian citizens, made by Russian Federation.”
The group of deputies appeals to release Roman Sushchenko immediately and calls for the attention of relevant officials to this situation.
The letter was signed by Michal Boni, head of the informal group of MEPs ”Friends of Ukraine” Petras Austrievicius, leader of the Greens Rebecca Harms, and Jaromir Stetina, Vice-Head of the sub-commission ”Security and Defence”.
