OSCE media rep "surprised by Russian criticism"

OSCE media rep "surprised by Russian criticism"

"I must say I find it quite surprising that Minister Lavrov decides to comment on a statement made by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media at the regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, not least since my office was the only international organization that raised the issue of the recent restrictions imposed on Russian journalists in Ukraine. I wonder on which parameters that could be considered as biased," Mijatovic said in an email to RIA Novosti.

"However, it is important that Minister Lavrov is following the work of my Office and I would be happy to meet with him soon to discuss this, or any of my other statements on free media in Russia or elsewhere in the OSCE region," she said.

On February 12, the Ukrainian parliament made a decision to strip Russian news outlets of accreditation in Ukraine's government agencies, the website reported, and noted that "a list of media outlets that fell under the ban was not provided."

According to Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) more than 100 Russian media organizations are on the black list, while an SBU source told RIA Novosti that the list includes Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency and all Russian television channels "apart from Dozhd."

"The freedom of the media in Ukraine has been repeatedly violated since the military confrontation between Kiev forces and Donbas independence supporters started in April 2014. Several international journalists have been abducted, tortured and killed during the hostilities," Sputnik said.