During the EP plenary session (28-31 May 2018) in Strasbourg, Antonio TAJANI makes a statement on Arkadi BABTCHENKO, Russian journalist killed in Kiev and also on the case of Bill BROWDER, Uk citizen, formerly American citizen, arrested in Spain on the basis of an international arrest warrant and freed after short time.

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

EU - Russia (T)

EU - Spain (T)

freedom of press and media (T)

Statement by Antonio TAJANI, EP President, on Arkadi BABTCHENKO, Russian journalist killed in Kiev and on Bill BROWDER, British citizen shortly arrested in Spain on a Russian arrest warrant and freed

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Yesterday the Russian writer and journalist Arkadi BABTCHENKO was shot and killed in his home in Kiev. Babtchenko was one of the most important Russian war correspondents, he had to leave his country in 2007, and he was a victims of death threats and the campaign of hatred of social media that was unleashed against him as a result of his work as a journalist and because of his political opinions. This violent assassination is a further unacceptable attack on press freedom and journalists who up hold our values and seek to preserve our democracy. This Parliament calls for light to thrown on his death. To ensure that those who carried out the assassination, those who pulled the strings be brought to book. It is our duty to support the efforts of the media in favour of freedom by paying tribute to the life of journalists.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, When it comes to the arrest and the later release of Bill BROWDER, we have received information as required and call for by Guy Verhofstadt and we have had some positive news. The activist of UK Nationality had been released by the Spanish authorities, he was arrested originally by the Spanish police on the basis on an international arrest warrant, but his arrest was not confirmed and Mr Browder has then be released and he is now free.