“I have not seen this situation. We will study it. But, obviously, it is important that all due legal procedures are observed,” Dujarric responded to a question from a RIA Novosti journalist about the journalist’s detention.
Earlier, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova commented on the situation with the detention of Marat Kasem. The diplomat described the incident as the revenge of the dictatorial regimes against the journalist for his freedom and adherence to principles.
Remember that Kasem is a citizen of Latvia, but in recent years he lived and worked in Moscow. He was arrested in Riga, where he arrived on December 30 for family reasons. Latvian authorities suspect that the editor-in-chief of Sputnik Lithuania spied on and violated sanctions against Russia. According to Sputnik, if the journalist is found guilty under the first article, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
A trial on Kasem was held on January 5, where the restraining measure was discussed. The defense insisted on releasing him on bail, but the judge decided to take the editor-in-chief into custody. After the meeting, Kasem was taken to Riga Central Prison.
