Journalist Vyshinsky Marks Birthday In Ukrainian Prison, Thanks Putin For Support

RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky, arrested in Ukraine over his work as a journalist, wrote a letter on his birthday, thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2019) RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky, arrested in Ukraine over his work as a journalist, wrote a letter on his birthday, thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support.

The journalist wrote in a letter, obtained by Sputnik, that he used to see Putin as a major newsmaker, someone "surprisingly open and direct" for a politician with a global standing, someone who can be "very humorous and witty." However, Vyshinsky's attitude to the Russian president became more personal after the journalist's detention. Putin said very early on that Vyshinsky was being targeted over "doing his job." The Russian president raised the issue at the talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"Such support, such personal support means a lot for a journalist who is in prison on trumped up charges. Since then, Putin has been not just one of the world leaders for me, a person from the newswire, but someone I would like to personally thank for support. To thank him him when I leave the prison," Vyshinsky said.

The journalist, who turns 52 on February 19, stressed that the accusations against him were "absurd."

"They allege that I was engaged in high treason for the four years that I was the editor at the RIA Novosti Ukraine website that was one of the 30 most read news outlets of the country," Vyshinsky said.

The journalist added that his case had a "clear political background."

"In the run-up to the presidential election, the Ukrainian authorities needed yet another pretext for anti-Russian hysteria," Vyshinsky said.

The journalist was detained in Kiev in May, on suspicion of treason and support for the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, and has been held in custody ever since. Earlier in January, Vyshinsky's defense team appealed a Ukrainian court's decision to keep him under arrest.

According to Putin, Vyshinsky's arrest is politically motivated and demonstrates Ukrainian authorities' unacceptable policy, aimed at targeting journalists who are just doing their jobs.

Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Harlem Desir has expressed his concern over Ukraine's actions toward Vyshinsky and called for the journalist's release, stressing that all OSCE members had pledged to create the necessary conditions to allow journalists to work freely.