BUENOS AIRES, August 19 (RIA Novosti), Oleg Vyazmitinov – The Foreign Media Correspondents Association, operating in Argentina, has asked the Ukrainian government to take all possible measures to assist in the release of Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency photographer Andrei Stenin.
Stenin, who worked in eastern Ukraine, has not contacted the Agency since August 5. Sources reported that he might be detained by the Ukrainian security forces, but this hasn’t been confirmed by Kiev.
"We join the numerous appeals of the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and journalists around the world, who have expressed concern about the deaths and disappearances of journalists in eastern Ukraine, thus we ask the Ukrainian Government to take all possible measures to immediately find Stenin or release him, if he is currently being detained, " read a statement released by the Association.
According to the Latin American journalist Patricia Lee, who is among those responsible for issuing the statement, "it is very important to protect the work of journalists from violence and oppression." "I have recently travelled in Donetsk, and found out that the journalists, working there, put themselves at great risk - they work in a situation of undeclared war, in cities with hundreds or even thousands of innocent victims," - she told RIA Novosti.
"We are in Argentina - a country where there was a dictatorship, and where a great number of people were missing - we believe it is necessary to support the campaign to find Andrew, he should be alive and released!" - she said.
President of the Association, Guido Nehamkis, in his turn, stressed that journalists should not become victims as a result of their duties, and the Association will follow this statement. "We will demand the authorities of all countries to ensure the work of journalists, which helps the society to get access to the sacred right - the right to information," - he said in an interview.
Association of Foreign Correspondents in Argentina includes 135 journalists, representing 132 media from 35 countries.
To take part in the campaign, replace your cover photo with the #freeAndrew and #освободитеАндрея layouts. Visit http://en.ria.ru/ or our Facebook page to download the cover.
The campaign to support Stenin will run until the photographer is freed.
For additional information, please call +7 (495) 645-66-24 or send an e-mail to pr_dept@rian.ru if you have joined the #freeAndrew and #освободитеАндрея campaign.
