Marat Kasem, editor-in-chief of Sputnik Lithuania, has been released from prison in Latvia on bail, Sputnik Near Abroad reports .
It is specified that until the trial he will be under police supervision. The journalist was ordered to be at home at the place of registration from 23:00 to 7:00 and report to the polling station twice a week.
Kasem was detained in Riga at the end of December last year. On January 5, the court placed him in custody. Kasem himself claimed that he came to Latvia on family business. The journalist is accused of violating EU economic sanctions against the Russian Federation and espionage. According to the articles imputed to him, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reacted to Kasem’s detention, writing that “what happened cannot be qualified otherwise than as inhuman and vile terror of the Latvian regime against any dissent. <…> This is the revenge of dictatorial regimes for his [Kasem's] freedom, for his truth, for his adherence to principles.”
In addition, the head of the Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency, which includes Sputnik Lithuania, Dmitry Kiselev, commented on the accusation. He stated that Kasem is a citizen of Latvia, although he lives in Moscow.
“This is a clear political persecution, absolutely unlawful, absurd and unmotivated,” Kiselyov said. “It’s unfortunate that a real person found himself in a difficult situation. It characterizes a regime that has no respect for freedom of speech, which is emerging in this country and which is being established throughout the European Union. This is a very dangerous trend."
Earlier, Russian political prisoner from the Amur Region Vladislav Nikitenko offered to exchange him or Alexander Skochilenko for Kasem, Sota wrote.