Slutsky commented on the expulsion of the authors of “Rybar” from Montenegro

The authorities of Montenegro have decided to expel the authors of the Telegram channel “Rybar”, who were previously detained in the city of Risan.

Leonid Slutsky, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, leader of the LDPR, called the actions of the Montenegrin authorities an attack on freedom of speech and an example of a “witch hunt.”

The Russian Embassy in Montenegro demanded that the Montenegrin side explain the reasons for the detention of Russian citizens and provide consular access to them.

MOSCOW, October 9 - RIA Novosti. The decision of the Montenegrin authorities to expel the previously detained authors of the Telegram channel “Rybar” is an attack on freedom of speech, says Leonid Slutsky, member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, leader of the LDPR.

The founder of the “Rybar” project, Mikhail Zvinchuk, his wife Valeria and three of their colleagues were detained in the city of Risan. Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajic confirmed the detention, adding that the situation requires careful verification. Soon the country's authorities decided to expel the detainees.

“The recognition of Russians as a national threat to Montenegro with subsequent expulsion looks like a crude maneuver of a hybrid proxy war on the information front. The Mladonatovites are attacking freedom of speech and the truth - so inconvenient for Westerners,” Slutsky told RIA Novosti.

He added that the situation is an example of a classic "witch hunt." According to the deputy, the reason for expulsion is “far-fetched,” since the Russians were in Montenegro legally and carried out exclusively professional activities without violating the law.

“We will demand the safe return of Zinchuk’s entire team to Russia,” summed up Slutsky.

The Russian Embassy in Montenegro previously told RIA Novosti that it demanded that the Montenegrin side explain the reasons for the detention of Zvinchuk and other Russian citizens, as well as provide consular access to them.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that the Russian side is trying to obtain information from the Montenegrin authorities about the detention of the founder of the Rybar project, but there is no response from them yet.