Italy’s Foreign Minister Condemns Russia’s Targeting of Italian Journalists
A recent move by Russia has sparked controversy as a Russian court issued arrest warrants for two Italian journalists, Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini. The journalists, working for Italian state broadcaster RAI, are accused of illegally crossing the border between Ukraine and Russia’s Kursk region in August.
Battistini and Traini were the first foreign reporters to enter the Russian town of Sudzha during Ukraine’s incursion into the region, with the assistance of Ukrainian military escorts. However, they are currently not in Russia and have been placed on “Russia’s wanted list,” facing the threat of five years in prison under Russian law.
The court in Moscow has stated that if they were to be extradited, the journalists would be subject to pretrial detention. Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, criticized the arrest warrant on Twitter, calling it a form of persecution against freedom of the press.
Italy’s foreign minister stated, “The Italian government will always defend the right to independent information.” This move by Russia has been condemned as an “unacceptable provocation” by RAI journalists’ trade union Usigrai, which is urging government action against this act of intimidation.
The union has expressed concern over the situation and is calling for clarification from the Russian ambassador in Italy regarding the protection of journalistic work and freedom of information.
