Russia’s permanent mission called on UNESCO, which has the corresponding mandate, to address the problems of persecution of the press, restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information in the Baltic countries. “We expect CEO O. Azule to condemn the Latvian regime’s punitive strategic lawsuit by SLAPP against M. Kasem for exercising political rights and freedom of expression,” the diplomats said on their Telegram channel.
Earlier, Tatyana Moskalkova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to take steps within her mandate to protect the rights of Marat Kasem.
For his part, Aleksey Pushkov, chairman of the Federation Council’s Commission for Information Policy and Interaction with the Media, said on Telegram that the arrest of Marat Kasem, editor-in-chief of Sputnik Lithuania, is actually a ban on the profession due to views and beliefs and an encroachment on freedom of expression.
Marat Kasem was arrested on January 5 in Riga by the Latvian State Security Service. He came to Riga to the family where he lives, and Kasem is a citizen of Latvia. Accused of espionage, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
