MOSCOW, July 23 (RAPSI) – Russia’s Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova stood up for the rights of Russian journalists after they had been attacked by the police in Portland, U.S.A. The Ombudsman applied to UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet and President of the International Federation of Journalists Younes M'Jahed, Moskalkova’s press-service reports on Thursday.

The Rights Commissioner was seriously alarmed after hearing about the attack of U.S. police officers on Russian journalists Vyacheslav Arkhipov and Yuliya Olkhovskaya, who at that time were reporting on protests in Portland.

Moskalkova reminded that the freedom of speech and safety of journalists’ work are among the core values of a democratic society enshrined in all key global and regional international instruments.

Russia’s Ombudsman believes it is inadmissible to use violence and to create obstacles to a person or a group of persons doing their professional duty; she asks Michelle Bachelet to attract attention of U.S. authorities to the incident so they could make all-out effort to prevent such cases of police abuse and brutality against journalists in the future, Moskalkova’s statement reads.

The Rights Commissioner also called the President of the International Federation of Journalists to give his assessment of the incident and assist in prevention of such cases involving journalists from Russia.