MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Council of the European Union has barred Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency’s Director General Dmitry Kiselev from attending a court hearing to defend himself in a legal challenge against personal EU sanctions, the journalist told Sputnik.
"The letter asking to suspend the travel ban for at least one day was sent in early August," Kiselev said. "Seven weeks passed without any response to my official request, and a week before the hearing I received a refusal, leaving me no time to challenge it."
The European Union imposed a travel ban and an asset freeze on Kiselev on March 21, 2014. He challenged these restrictions at EU’s General Court in Luxembourg, which is due to hear the case this Thursday.
"This is a unique case since imposing sanctions on a journalist runs counter to the freedom of expression principle. The right to defense includes the right to be present at a hearing of your own case. The European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantee the right to defend yourself in person. Sanctions on a journalist and the decision by EU officials to deny me my right to speak in court are unprecedented," Kiselev stressed.
Dmitry Kiselev, who is also the anchor of the Vesti Nedeli (Weekly News) TV show, was one of the first Russians to face individual EU sanctions after Crimea’s reunification with Russia two years ago.
