Ukrainian parliament commissioner for human rights asks Russian ombudsperson to pay attention to Suschenko case
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Valeria Lutkovska has asked Russian Human Rights Ombudsperson Tatiana Moskalkova to control the case of Ukrainian citizen Roman Suschenko detained in Russia, Lutkovska's press service said on Monday.
"The letter sent by Valeriya Lutkovska called the attention of the Russian colleague to the fact that neither the family staying in France nor the Ukrainian consul in Russia had been informed about the detention of Roman Suschenko, which deprived him of access to consular and legal assistance prescribed by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the Consular Convention between Ukraine and Russia," the press service said.
In addition, Lutkovska launched a proceeding in defense of Suschenko's rights.
Lutkovska ordered its representative to Russia, Vladimir Shreidler, to control the case, to maintain permanent contact with the defense team and to provide information to the Ukrainian commissioner's office, the report said.
Within the framework of the proceeding, Lutkovska asked the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry for information about circumstances and causes of the detention of Suschenko and the provision of his rights and freedoms in Russian territory.
It was reported on Monday that Ukrinform correspondent Roman Suschenko had been taken into custody in Moscow. The Federal Security Service said he had been charged with espionage. The Moscow Lefortovsky Court ordered the two-month arrest of Suschenko on October 1.
Kyiv called the journalist's detention a provocation and described the espionage accusations as far-fetched.