Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, called it a disgraceful decision of the Ukrainian court to leave in custody the head of RIA Novosti Ukraine Kirill Vyshinsky.
"Shame and shame. That's all European values, ”Zakharova commented on her Facebook page.
On July 19, the Podolsky court of Kiev extended until September 19 the arrest of Vyshinsky, despite the fact that the journalist petitioned to change his preventive measure and asked the court to release him under a personal obligation. According to lawyer Andrei Domansky, the defense will seek to cancel the decision of the court.
Vyshinsky himself told Ruptly agency that he considers his business "political", believing that it was initiated by the previous leadership of Ukraine and "dishonoring the country."
Copying Poroshenko
Vyshinsky, accused by Ukrainian security forces of supporting the republics of Donbass and treason, has been detained in Ukraine for over a year. The journalist does not recognize the charges and stresses that the trial was caused by his professional activities, as well as the desire to use him for the exchange of prisoners held in Russia.
Earlier, colleagues from Russia and other countries, as well as international journalistic organizations, repeatedly supported the head of RIA Novosti Ukraine. A spokesman for the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, said that the release of a journalist could be a “wonderful first step” in restoring the dialogue between Moscow and Kiev. Hope for the release of the head of RIA Novosti Ukraine, and said the deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Grigory Karasin. Even the spokesperson for the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Larisa Sargan spoke about the possibility of changing the preventive measure for Vyshinsky, although speaking out against such a step.
On the eve of the court session scheduled for July 19, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Dezir, called on the Ukrainian authorities to release the journalist.
However, on the day of the proceedings in the Vyshinsky case, the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, proposed exchanging the head of RIA Novosti Ukraine for Oleg Sentsov, convicted in Russia on terrorism charges.
“Regarding Mr. Vyshinsky, if these are the first normal steps, if such conditions exist, then we are ready. Let us give you Mr. Vyshinsky if you want. Give us back Mr. Sentsov, ”the Ukrainian leader stressed.
He also spoke against a possible exchange of a journalist for Ukrainian sailors arrested last year in Russia for provocation in the Kerch Strait. According to the president, they should be “returned” to Kiev. Earlier the possibility of the exchange of the head of RIA Novosti Ukraine on Sentsova said Petro Poroshenko.
July 19 Vyshinsky himself categorically opposed such a turn in his fate, saying that he was “not the thing” to change it. According to the journalist, he intends to achieve justice in Ukraine. About the disparity of the exchange of a journalist for a convicted for 20 years for terrorism was declared back in 2018, Vladimir Putin.
"Direct pressure on the court"
As political analyst Vladimir Kornilov said in a conversation with RT, having made an offer to exchange Vyshinsky for Sentsov, the president of Ukraine frustrated the possible release of the journalist.
- Vladimir Zelensky
- globallookpress.com
- © Serg Glovny / ZUMAPRESS.com
In June, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine allowed to change the measure of restraint for the accused under the article on treason. On July 3, the Goloseevsky court of Kiev took advantage of this decision and released from custody the former deputy head of the protocol service of the prime minister of Ukraine Stanislav Yezhov, accused of collaborating with the Russian special services. This decree increased the likelihood that Vyshinsky could also change the preventive measure.
“Literally several hours before the court session, Zelensky stated that he was going to exchange Vyshinsky. This is a direct pressure on the court. The judges come to the meeting and already know that their president has made a decision on this person. And what kind of release can there be? What kind of exit? It is clear that they have already arrived with a prepared opinion, ”Kornilov noted.
According to the expert, before the statement Zelensky was still hope that the court will be postponed or broken. Then Vyshinsky could be released, since his term of detention had expired.
“But as soon as the president intervened, all these hopes were immediately destroyed. So much for the independence of the courts in Ukraine, ”the expert said.
On the occasion of the nationalists
Member of the Council on Interethnic Relations under the President of Russia, Bogdan Bezpalko, said in a conversation with RT that the unwillingness of the Ukrainian authorities to release Vyshinsky was caused by the fear of losing votes of nationalist voters. On July 21, early elections to the Verkhovna Rada will be held, where the Zelensky’s “Servant of the People” party expects to form the largest faction.
- Informational posters about leaders of political parties standing in Rada at a polling station in Kiev
- © Gleb Garanich / Reuters
“The president is ambivalent and does not want to lose the votes of nationalist voters before the parliamentary elections,” Bezpalko stressed.
Zelensky was guided by the same motives when he recalled Sentsov, the expert notes. However, the proposal to exchange Vyshinsky for "a person who attempted to commit a terrorist act," was doomed to failure from the very beginning, indicates Bezpalko.
“Zelensky’s desire to win the hearts of those Ukrainian citizens, for whom Sentsov and his nationalistic actions mean something, is understandable. But for us such an approach is unacceptable, ”said the politician.
Recall that on June 15, a meeting of nationalists against the release of Vyshinsky was held at the Podolsky court building in Kiev. According to Moskalkova, the judges received threats from Ukrainian officials opposing the release of Vyshinsky.
Hosted by Zelensky
The RT source in the Radical Party has linked Kiev’s unwillingness to release the head of RIA Novosti Ukraine with the pressure of “Western partners.” Earlier, Zelensky said that the allies discouraged him from negotiating with Putin.
“As far as I know, the Ukrainian authorities were ready to release Vyshinsky to freedom. But then Zelensky was convinced of the need to obtain guarantees that in return the country would be able to return the sailors. Foreign partners, who oppose direct contact between Kiev and Moscow, put pressure on the president. And Zelensky is forced to listen to them, otherwise Ukraine will be left without loans, ”said the source.
In turn, the RT source in the Batkivshchyna party suggests that the head of the Ukrainian state is ready to release Vyshinsky to freedom, but at the same time seeks to score political points. The release of Sentsov or sailors could strengthen his authority.
“Zelensky would like to establish a dialogue with Russia and free the journalist,” said the representative of Batkivshchyna. - Everyone understands that Vyshinsky is actually a hostage. But the President of Ukraine needs quick victories, which is why he announced the exchange. ”
A number of RT sources in Ukrainian political circles believe that, by raising stakes in the Vyshinsky case, Kiev seriously risks complicating negotiations on the exchange of prisoners and the normalization of Russian-Ukrainian relations.
Thus, the RT interlocutor in the Popular Front party said: “RIA Novosti worked for many years in the very center of Kiev, and only last year law enforcement agencies decided to detain Vyshinsky. This indicates that the journalist was detained for a subsequent exchange. ”
“Please note that there is no accusatory decision in the Vyshinsky case, as he did not violate the norms of Ukrainian legislation. Apparently, the negotiations are difficult, and the Ukrainian side decided to raise the stakes. It seems to me that this could worsen her position, ”the source emphasized.
The interlocutor of RT in the European Solidarity party adheres to a similar position.
“I think that Moscow is waiting for a positive signal from Kiev. And the release of Vyshinsky is perfectly suited for this. But the Ukrainian authorities want to get the maximum bonuses, which can negatively affect the relations between the two countries, ”said a source in the party, Petro Poroshenko.