OThe two Italian journalists accused by Russia of “illegally” crossing the border with the Ukrainian army to report in the Kursk region will return to Italy to “guarantee their personal safety”.
“The company has decided to have journalist Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini temporarily return to Italy, solely to ensure their personal safety”RAI announced, adding that the two reporters are expected to return to Milan tomorrow.
The decision was announced this Saturday by state broadcaster RAI and comes a day after the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Italian ambassador in Moscow, Cecilia Piccioni, to protest against the “illegal presence” of journalists in areas controlled by Ukrainian troops in Kursk.
This Saturday, Russian news agencies reported that the Russian security services (FSB) opened a criminal investigation against the two journalists.
Battistini and Traini reported for RAI’s main news program, Tg1, in the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region after crossing the Russian border in the company of Ukrainian military personnel. In the report, interviewed Russian civilians who were allegedly abandoned to their fate by the Russian authorities and who claim they are not being mistreated by the Ukrainian military.
@StefaniaBattis4 e @SimoneTraini They were the first international crew to enter the zone of the Ukrainian offensive. A world-class scoop made in compliance with international law. Here’s how it was born pic.twitter.com/LjCexdPr1k
— Tg1 (@Tg1Rai) August 17, 2024
Diplomacy then denounced that, in addition to violating Russian laws and elementary standards of journalistic ethics, “Italian correspondents took advantage of their stay on Russian territory to whitewash, through propaganda, the crimes of the Kyiv regime”.
“Such actions by Italian citizens are punishable by the Russian Criminal Code. The competent Russian bodies are taking measures to determine the circumstances of the crime committed by RAI employees for legal assessment and taking appropriate measures,” the Foreign Ministry concluded.
In turn, the Italian ambassador defended the “independent” work of journalists on the ground before Russian diplomacy. “Ambassador Cecilia Piccioni explained that RAI and in particular the editorial teams plan their activities in a completely autonomous and independent way”a spokesman for the Italian Foreign Ministry told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency.
Read Also: Italy alert to possible Moscow action against Italian journalists
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2616972/seguranca-jornalistas-criticados-pela-russia-vao-regressar-a-italia
