“To work in Moscow, I need security guarantees.” Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsimbaliuk – about leaving Russia

Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsimbalyuk, accredited in Russia, left the country due to concerns about his personal safety. He told The Insider about this.

The journalist emphasized that the departure was provoked by a summons for interrogation at the Prosecutor General’s Office due to requests from third parties to verify his claims for extremism.

“About a month ago, there was an appeal from a deputy of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly with a request to check me for extremism, he appealed to the Investigative Committee. Then the corresponding anonymous requests began to be published on some resources – the same Skabeeva published. Right at the end of the year, I was summoned for questioning to the General Prosecutor’s Office on December 24. I decided that this was enough for me and that I would not play these games. I just got into the car and drove home, ”explained Tsymbalyuk.

He also added that his lawyer Nikolai Polozov, who came to the prosecutor’s office on December 24, was told that the prosecutors themselves did not come and that the summons for interrogation had already been withdrawn.

“It is unclear why it was withdrawn. Either they are converting this “extremism” from an administrative case into a criminal one, or vice versa. There is very little information. The lawyer says not to rush, because, according to him, it is not clear what will happen to me in Russia. In short, about working in Moscow: I need security guarantees. If they are not there, what is the point of risking? “, – said the journalist. He stressed that he still has accreditation with the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In December, Roman Tsymbalyuk was invited to a press conference by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shortly before the press conference, information appeared that the journalist had been summoned for questioning to the Moscow prosecutor’s office for administrative proceedings.

On the day of the press conference, Tsimbalyuk’s lawyer Nikolai Polozov said that the Moscow prosecutor’s office had decided not to summon the journalist for questioning yet. Despite this, Tsymbalyuk did not appear at the press conference.