The Russian authorities have accused the Moscow-based Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk of “extremism.” The UNIAN correspondent is currently the only Ukrainian journalist accredited in the Russian Federation.
Tsymbaliuk and his lawyer Mykola Polozov have broken the news on Facebook. The journalist is accused of allegedly “inciting ethnic hatred.”
In November 2021, the Russian media RIA Novosti and Russia Today, announced that the Ukrainian correspondent was summoned for questioning by the prosecutor’s office of the Central Administrative District of Moscow.
Also, a number of media outlets published shots of a request to the police from a deputy of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, Dmitry, requesting that Tsymbaliuk’s materials be checked, and a decision made “on the legality of this person’s stay in the territory of the Russian Federation.”
The day before, on Dec. 14, Mykola Polozov became Tsymbaliuk’s lawyer. Polozov has previously defended Ukrainian political prisoners in the courts. The lawyer confirmed that Tsymbaliuk was summoned to the prosecutor’s office “for information on cases of administrative offenses in connection with the publication of some videos.” Polozov said they would be interrogated. And only then they will know all the details. Now most of the information they know is from the Russian media.
“He was an accredited journalist from Ukraine,“
I understand that there is pressure on freedom of speech and the expression of this opinion. Obviously, Russia does not respond to any alternative opinion that does not coincide with it. Roman openly but correctly defended the position of Ukraine. Therefore, Russia's reaction did not take long," Polozov said.
Tsymbaliuk has not yet received official letters from the prosecutor's office. According to the lawyer, this is illegal persecution and pressure. Tsymbaliuk plans to challenge the actions of the Russian authorities first in Russia, and then appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Tsymbaliuk wrote on Facebook that he is confident of victory.
"The money received after the decision of the European Court of Human Rights will be used to support children," the journalist added.
Tsymbaliuk has long been the only accredited Ukrainian journalist in the Russian Federation. A correspondent of the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, he lives in Moscow. He has repeatedly been embroiled in Russian scandals for asking awkward questions to Russian politicians, including President Vladimir Putin. When invited to appear on popular Russian programs, he has always taken a strong pro-Ukrainian stance.
Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Russia has been trying to eradicate Ukrainian life on its territory. Institutions with Ukrainian-language services have been closed down. In 2018, the last Ukrainian library was destroyed in Moscow and its website blocked.
