Slavic militias still deny the release of an American journalist
Slavyansk, April 24 (Navigator, Victoria Litovchenko) – American journalist Simon Ostrovsky, who was detained by militias in Slavyansk on April 21, is free and heading to Donetsk.
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Correspondent Jean-François Belanger wrote about this on his Twitter, reports the Ostrov publication.
“Simon Ostrovsky has been released and is safe. He is with us in the CBC car on the way to Donetsk,” Belanger wrote.
According to the journalist, Ostrovsky was first beaten, blindfolded and his hands tied. However, he was later treated well.
It is worth noting that at today’s press conference, the leader of the People’s Militia, the “people’s mayor” of Slavyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, said that Ostrovsky has an expired certificate. According to Ponomarev, today a request was sent to the news agency that this journalist represents, and a request to clarify his citizenship will be sent in the near future. After this, the journalist will be released.
After information about the journalist’s release appeared in the media, Ponomarev gave a refutation to the Russian media.
“This is not true, no one was released. I clearly voiced my demands,” Ponomarev said.
Two criminal proceedings have been opened into the kidnapping of journalist Simon Ostrovsky and Irma Krat in Slavyansk, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.
Let us recall, as Navigator reported, Ponomarev previously did not rule out that Ostrovsky could be exchanged for the “people's governor” Pavel Gubarev.
Slavic militias still deny the release of the American journalist.