Russia responds to EU over criticism on arrest of US journalist

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Friday urged EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell to stand up for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Sputnik news agency correspondent Marat Kassem in response to Borrell's condemnation of the arrest of US journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russia.

Borrell on Twitter said the EU condemned the detention of the Wall Street Journal correspondent in Russia, saying: "Journalists must be allowed to perform their profession freely and deserve protection," accusing Moscow of disregard for media freedom.

In response, Maria Zakharova offered Borrell to demonstrate respect for media freedom and condemn the arrest of Assange in UK and Kassem in Latvia.

"Prove your words, Josep, at least in words -- stand up for Julian Assange and Marat Kasem. For the balance," Zakharova wrote on Telegram.

Assange, an Australian citizen, is being held in the UK, where authorities authorized his extradition to the US last year. He is wanted for his alleged role in espionage and the dissemination of classified US military information.

The US Justice Department labeled Assange’s actions as part of the “largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States.”

Last November, major global media outlets joined forces to call on the US to drop charges against the founder of WikiLeaks and halt his prosecution in order to protect journalism.

Kasem, a Latvian national of Arab origin, worked for the Russian Sputnik news agency and was arrested on charges of violating EU sanctions when he was on route to visit his seriously ill grandmother. He was detained at the border and failed to see his grandmother, who died several days later.

US citizen Gershkovich, meanwhile, was detained by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of espionage on Thursday.

Gershkovich is suspected of acting at the request of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.

In a separate statement, Zakharova also criticized attempts to interfere in Georgia's internal affairs, calling them "unacceptable."

Commenting on recent protests, provoked by the Georgian parliament's a draft law, Transparency of Foreign Influence, Zakharova said: "We believe that such harsh attempts are absolutely unacceptable, not just interference, but modeling the situation from the inside through so-called NGOs, so-called public figures."

The purpose of this intervention is an attempt to influence stability and security in the region, Zakharova said.

"There is little thought in the West about the welfare, well-being, security of the people and peoples living on the territory of Georgia, and Georgia itself as a community," the diplomat said.

The bill required individuals, civil society organizations and media outlets to register with the Justice Ministry as “agents of foreign influence” if they receive at least 20% of their funds from abroad.

It imposed additional reporting requirements, inspections and administrative and criminal liability including up to five years in prison for any violations.

Demonstrators reacted strongly to the adoption of the bill, which was submitted by the People's Power Party. Opposition parties argued that the law in question was anti-democratic.

Georgian lawmakers withdrew the bill after it triggered mass protests.