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British reporter Graham Phillips finally released by Kiev – after 36 hour detention

21st Century Wire says…

After 36 hours of detention by a paranoid regime in Kiev, obsessed with projecting an global image of respectability after their violent rise to power in late February, British journalist Graham Phillips, from Nottingham, England, was finally released unharmed – but questions still linger over the Washington-backed Kiev junta and their policy of detaining journalists who they do not agree with.

Phillips was originally seized by Kiev’s National Guard unit at a checkpoint in Mariupol, Ukraine, where soldier claimed he needed a special ‘license’ to wear a standard press-issue bullet-proof vest and helmet. Phillips explains, “Things escalated when they saw I work for RT”.

1-Graham-Phillips-RT-Ukraine
Taken to a military base at gunpoint, and later with a black-sack over the head, Phillips was transferred to multiple facilities and denied outside contact with his network, friends or family for at least 24 hours. His apprehension followed reports that a $10,000 bounty was put on his head by one of Kiev’s far-right wing NeoNazi groups who did not like the facts Phillips was reporting during his investigations.

Finally, Ukraine Security Service concluded its “investigation” and proceedings against RT contributor Phillips, allowing him to be handed over to the consul of the British embassy in Kiev, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

Spy Smears by Kiev

After his release, Phillips explained how the accusations by pro-junta forces from Kiev that he might have been a ‘spy’ were ridiculous, “You seen my pieces for RT. I stand by them, in terms of everything I’ve done has been a piece of objective journalism based on my investigations. I’ve not said anything I couldn’t stand by.”

Graham’s unique and honest style of reporting and video blogging has attracted millions readers and viewers to his reporting in the Ukraine. Watch him here just days before his detention in Mariupol:

After reports surfaced that the CIA is occupying the top floor of the Ukrainian security services in Kiev, many questions are arising about whether or not the CIA and FBI, or NATO intelligence – are coordinating communications in the Ukraine, including direct and support for the dangerous NeoNazi and fascist paramilitary and street gangs used by Washington during this past Winter’s violent coup de tat in Kiev.

Afraid to rattle their new “special relationship” with the self-appointed government in Kiev, both Washington and London have avoided making any judgements against Kiev over this new disturbing trend…

RT.com An RT journalist reporting from Ukraine, Graham Phillips, was released after almost 36 hours of detention by various Kiev security forces. Phillips says he is feeling ‘ok’ after questioning by Ukrainian security forces and spending a night in detention. After being arrested at a checkpoint near Mariupol on Tuesday, Phillips was transferred to Zaporozhye where he stayed the night. Ukraine’s authorities did not charge him with anything, he says. “All my work in order, no charges, no deportation, no one laid a hand on me in anger, Ukrainian authorities treated me fairly,” Phillips said. He thanked his colleagues and his followers for all their support. “Thank you so much for all your support during this. Some moments were a little bit difficult, but I knew you guys were there supporting me and that meant the world ,” Phillips told RT. ‘Things escalated when they saw I work for RT’ The journalist explained that he was just taking photos at the checkpoint near Mariupol as he has done “dozens of times” covering the turmoil in eastern Ukraine. “I was questioning these soldiers at the checkpoint in Mariupol on what happened on that day, and I’ve done that a lot of times before.” “And then they saw that I work for RT, and then things escalated after that,” Phillips explained. “It got more serious this time. They started phoning people and then I was detained. I had my things taken off of me and interrogated quite thoroughly.” “I was with soldiers at this point at a block post and then the SBU came, this is the Ukrainian Secret Services,” Phillips told RT in his first appearance after the release… That is where Phillips said that he knew that he wasn’t going to get released. Two locals accompanying Phillips were both released soon. He in the meantime was taken away late on Monday night, around 9 pm local time, after having spent 9 hours at the military checkpoint. The UK journalist said that he was transferred to Zaporozhye in a police van at “gun point,” where he was delivered to an army base barracks. “An SBU man made it quite clear that I was under detention,” Phillips told RT. The Ukrainian authorities also accused him of being a spy, Phillips says. Working for Russian TV is a “black spot”, UK national says, that is why the soldiers looked at him “with particular wariness.” “You are working for Russian TV? What is your purpose? Are you a spy?” Phillips described the kind of questions he was asked. The RT stringer specified that he clearly understood the line of questioning by the Ukrainian authorities, as he speaks and understands Russian. “They were alright. I mean they fed me, they looked after me, but I was held at a gun point and that was quite dramatic,” he told RT. Earlier on Wednesday the Ukraine Security Service finished proceedings against Phillips, and said it handed him over to the consul of the British embassy in Kiev. Phillips was detained at a checkpoint near Mariupol in eastern Ukraine on May 20. Earlier on Wednesday, RT received a statement from the country’s Defense Ministry, which confirmed that the journalist’s arrest had been carried out by the National Guard. According to the ministry’s press service, Phillips was detained for “filming facilities which are forbidden from being filmed.” US calls on Kiev to release Russian journalists… ‘if they are legitimate’ While Phillips has been released, two Russian journalists still remain in custody, arrested by Kiev authorities on Sunday. The US was quick to reiterate reports coming from Kiev officials alleging the journalists from Russia’s LifeNews channel, Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saichenko, transported weapons. US State Department’s Minister of Information – Jen Psaki (Photo: Zero Hedge) But on Wednesday, the US State Department has seemingly softened its rhetoric, calling on Kiev to investigate the issue and release those individuals if it is proven they are members of a media organization and if they did not violate the law. “I don’t have any new updates from what I shared yesterday about the circumstances surrounding these individuals and what they may have been carrying with them, but we would call on Ukrainian authorities to investigate these incidents, to release these people if they’re legitimate journalists and not involved in illegal activities,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, referring to Saichenko and Sidyakin. Bombarded with questions, Psaki was also asked if she was “still not convinced,” or was “less unconvinced now” that these were legitimate journalists. Psaki said the US still has “the same concerns that we had yesterday about the circumstances around these individuals,” implying that Washington believes the two veteran Russian journalists indeed carried heavy weapons. Journalists Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saichenko. (Image from www.lifenews.ru) The State Department representative was also asked if the US is “really trying to verify any of the information that’s coming from Kiev,” or just taking it at face value. “That’s actually not what I said yesterday, but I think I just reiterated the fact that we… call on Ukrainian authorities to investigate these incidents and to release these people if they are legitimate journalists and not involved in illegal activities,” Psaki replied, dodging the question.  

 

Human Right Watch suspects ‘enforced disappearance’

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on earlier on Wednesday urged Kiev to “immediately explain why they detained the journalists.

“It should ensure their prompt release, or, if there are credible grounds for bringing charges against them, promptly bring them before a judge so they can be charged and released pending an investigation.”

At the same time HRW demanded the Ukrainian authorities should halt “arbitrarily denying journalists from Russian news outlets, including Russian state media, access to the country,” the press release reads.

“Detaining journalists and then failing to provide information on what’s happening to them or to respect their due process rights are serious violations that have to end,” said Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

The NGO warned that failure “to provide information on the whereabouts” could constitute an “enforced disappearance.”

In the meantime the Ukrainian authorities, despite numerous calls, are not letting the OSCE special monitoring mission visit the detained journalists.

Sidyakin and Saichenko were detained on Sunday soon after they released a scandalous video, which showed a UN-marked helicopter being used by the Ukrainian army in a military operation in the rebelling eastern regions.

READ MORE UKRAINE NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Ukraine Files

 

 

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