A British freelance reporter who contributes stories for Russian state-run news network RT has said on Twitter that he has been released by Ukrainian government authorities almost 36 hours after being detained.
Reporter Graham Phillips told RT on Tuesday that Ukrainian troops had detained him in the country's Black Sea city of Mariupol, the site of repeated fighting between government forces and anti-Kiev separatists.
Following his release on Wednesday night, Phillips posted on his Twitter account that the incident had resulted in "no charges, no deportation, no one laid a hand on me in anger."
In an interview with RT about his time in custody, the journalist and blogger said that he was taken to the city of Zaporozhye and questioned by the Ukrainian security services about his video work with the Kremlin-backed channel, for which he has been criticized for reporting unverified information with shoddy production values.
My interview with @RT_com from a few mins ago, and some cameraphone footage of incident itself yesterday — https://t.co/GFrH38WGO2
— GrahamWPhillips (@GrahamWP_UK) 21 мая 2014
Phillips, who was later taken to Kiev before being released, said that he was "back in business" in terms of his work and said on his Twitter account Thursday that the Ukrainian authorities had handed back the possession that were taken from him on Tuesday, including his recording equipment.
Both Ukrainian government forces and anti-Kiev separatists have detained journalists during the political turmoil in the country's east, including Vice News video correspondent Simon Ostrovsky and two Russian journalists from online tabloid LifeNews.
Read more:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
