Kiev began to adjust the sanctions list, pending its entry into force – RIA Novosti

KIEV, September 17 – RIA Novosti. The Ukrainian authorities against the background of criticism from experts and international organizations have decided to revise the sanctions list of journalists even before sanctions take effect. The authorities plan to exclude from the list of individuals in respect of which will be sanctioned, six journalists of Western media.

On the eve of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, he issued a decree that enacted sanctions against foreign citizens, “responsible for the implementation of criminal activity against Ukraine “. In particular, the sanctions list included the 388 individuals and 105 entities, including citizens of 23 countries, including politicians, officials and journalists. Different types of sanctions against the ban on entry into the country, to the seizure of assets, introduced a period of one year.

All restrictions will take effect in the near future, after the corresponding presidential decree will be published in the Official Gazette. Meanwhile, Russian airlines for which introduced restrictive measures to continue the flight to Ukraine as usual, said the aviation authorities of the Russian Federation.

The scandal because journalists

The sanctions list, except for a large number of Russian journalists, in particular from the MIA “Russia Today” and TASS, were Western journalists, including such prestigious media as the Bi-bi-si.

This situation has caused sharp criticism from the West. On Thursday his concern about the massive inclusion of journalists in the sanctions lists expressed the international human rights organization “Reporters without Borders”, which called the move of Kiev “a serious infringement of the freedom of the press and totally counterproductive escalation in the information war with Russia”.

As the head of the organization Christian world, journalists will be able to create a reliable picture of what is happening only in the event that they will be able to freely and without fear to work in all parts of Ukraine.

are unhappy with the actions of the Kiev authorities and the European Commission. European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Johannes Hahn has expressed surprise and concern at the imposition of sanctions against journalists. “I am surprised and concerned. Of course, I will discuss this issue with colleagues from the Ukraine, because I can not say that it is in the European spirit”, – he said.

The adjustment of the list

Serious resonance forced Ukrainian authorities to listen to the comments and to reduce the sanctions list of journalists. On Thursday, Poroshenko instructed the Council of National Security and Defense to remove the names of journalists BBC BBC from the list. NSDC quickly took to the execution of the President’s instructions, and has reported on the support of the President’s proposals.

“Given the significant public interest and the strategic importance of relations with the European Union, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine supported the proposal of the President of Ukraine on the lifting of sanctions against the European Journalists’ – National Security Council said in a statement.

According to the National Security Council, the sanctions lifted three employees BBC BBC: correspondent Steve Rosenberg, the producer of the Moscow bureau of Emma Wells and Anton Chicherova operator. In addition, the sanctions are removed from Spanish journalists publications Quatro Sastre Angel Manuel Rodriguez and Jose Antonio Pampliegi.

unfriendly step

On Thursday, followed by the reaction of the Russian Foreign Ministry official. As stated at the briefing official representative of the foreign economic department Maria Zakharova, sanctions Kiev – is an unfriendly step, which is not conducive to the establishment of relations and the implementation of the Minsk agreement.

“On September 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry was invited to Charge d’Affaires of Ukraine in Russia, Mr. (Ruslan ) Nimchinsky which was expressed protest in connection with another hostile act of the Ukrainian side. Moscow can count on detailed explanation for this decision, which we consider offensive. It was also noted that such provocative actions of official Kiev do not contribute to the normalization of Russian-Ukrainian relations and, of course, undermine the implementation of the Minsk Agreement of February 12 this year, “- she said.

Airlines is flying

Under the sanctions were 25 Russian airlines, two of them no longer exist. According to a document published on the website of the President of Ukraine, the sanctions list includes the largest Russian air carrier “Aeroflot” and its three subsidiary airline – “Donavia”, “Orenburg airlines” and “Russia” and adopted in early September under the reorganization of “Aeroflot” second largest Russian airline “Transaero”. According to the document, all the companies fully or partially prohibited the transit of resources, flights and transportation on the territory of Ukraine.

On Friday, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and the Federal Air Transport Agency said that Russian companies, despite sanctions, continue to carry out flights to Ukraine as usual. The representative of the Ministry of Transport said that the Russian Federation has not yet received any official notification about the possible cancellation of flights of Russian airlines to Ukraine.

When this State Aviation Administration of Ukraine declined to comment, saying that a mechanism of sanctions against Russian airlines will be developed after the presidential decree will come into force.

“While we do not comment, a presidential decree has not entered into force, it will not be published. It shall be published in “Governmental Courier” (Government publication). In the decree states that it shall enter into force after its official publication, “- said the press service of the Ministry of Transport, in response to issue of the timing restrictions against Russian companies.

“height of absurdity”

The vice-speaker of Russian State Duma Sergei Zheleznyak caught under the Ukrainian sanctions list named Poroshenko transfer similar documents of Western countries. “For a long time the Kiev authorities translations of Western sanctions lists from English to Ukrainian. Probably autotranslator gas work was not enough. And so they have around” – said the deputy RIA Novosti on Thursday.

The first deputy chairman of the faction “United Russia” in the State Duma Franz Klintsevich called the new sanctions “height of absurdity.” “Ukraine is represented by its current president of the most difficult, even the possibility of dialogue between our two countries. So, the worse – the better. The new sanctions list Poroshenko – this is the height of absurdity”, – said the Klintsevich.

Director of the Institute of the latest States Alexei Martynov called the absurd situation in which Ukraine will introduce sanctions against its citizens through the same list as in respect of the Russians. “Kiev defines them as foreign nationals, although in fact we understand that they are citizens of Ukraine. How can impose sanctions against its own citizens? What does it mean? What do they denied entry to the territory of their own country? That’s absurd,” – said Martynov.

According to Ukrainian experts, the president of the Center of System Analysis and Forecasting Rostislav Ishchenko, in compiling sanctions list Kiev is not guided by any particular criteria or algorithm. “I think that in this situation, the lists were compiled on the basis of” just have to make “: who remembered that and wrote,” – said the source.