Elena CheryshevaHELSINKI, Apr 7Ex-employees of Sputnik Meedia Elena Cherysheva and Mati-Dmitry Terestal were detained in Estonia, they are suspected of violating international sanctions, according to the Delfi portal. Colleagues of journalists told RIA Novosti that it was impossible to contact them after many hours of search. In early March, the Estonian information Internet portal Sputnik Meedia announced the cessation of work due to pressure and their employees. As editor-in-chief Elena Cherysheva stated at the time, throughout the year, Estonian banks froze employees' salaries and closed Sputnik Meedia accounts on the basis of suspicions of «money laundering, terrorist financing, illegal sale of alcohol.» In addition, recently many newsmakers have refused to cooperate with the portal, and the editor-in-chief and employees have been receiving «blatant threats from obscure personalities». «/>Zakharova called Estonia's accusations against Sputnik absurd «Today (Wednesday — ed.), the security police detained Elena (43 years old) and Mati-Dmitry (50 years old)», writes Delfi. According to the portal, journalists are suspected of violating international sanctions. According to the materials of the criminal case, the Estonian authorities suspect journalists of transferring money allegedly received from Russia to a sanctioned person, as well as that they allegedly continued to manage Sputnik Meedia after the EU imposed sanctions on March 1. As a colleague of the detainees told RIA Novosti, the search at Cherysheva and Terestal's houses lasted eight hours. «After that, it is still impossible to establish contact with them,» the agency's interlocutor said. RIA Novosti does not currently have a comment from the Russian embassy in Estonia. » /> The case of Sputnik Estonia will be considered again in the Tallinn Court. The Delfi portal also cites the words of Prosecutor Taavi Pern, who said that a criminal case had been opened on suspicion of economic ties prohibited by international sanctions.» The European Union imposed international sanctions for international crimes against the state and people of Ukraine . Violation of sanctions will entail a crime against peace,» Delfi quoted Pern as saying. He added that the content published on the portal will not be evaluated as part of this criminal proceeding. The criminal proceedings are being conducted by the security police under the leadership of the prosecutor's office. threats to the Estonian police.
The ambassador in Tallinn commented on the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Estonia
