Ruslan Kotsaba detained for 36 hours by Ukrainian Security Service

Ruslan Kotsaba, journalist from Ivano-Frankivsk in Western Ukraine – the first and one of the very few Ukrainian journalists who visited the ATO zone and reported truthful information from Lugansk, claiming that he did not see Russian regular troops there and blaming Kiev authorities for the senseless war with their own population – is being repressed by the neo-Nazi regime.
He dared to raise his voice against the annihilation of millions of Ukrainian men in the so-called mobilization, although war had never been declared and forcible enlistment is unconstitutional and illegal in Ukraine. Repressions started immediately. At first he was fired by the management of TV channel Ukraine-112 he worked for. And now he is detained for 36 hours.
Another Ukrainian journalist, Viktor Zubrytskyi, writes:
These 36 hours are a test, not for Ruslan, but for the entire Ukraine, for Ukrainian community. The test was imposed on us by the Security Service and President’s Administration. Such an event could never taken place without the appropriate political will.
What do they want to display and what are their aims?
1) They do not want to arrest Ruslan Kotsabe as yet: they need this time to intimidate him. At the moment they want to place him under home arrest.
2) They suppose to squeeze as much as possible information from him and find some “thread” leading to some evidence of “paid journalism”. This will give them a chance to save Ukrainian public opinion from the “burst of standards”: a Ukrainian from Western Ukraine manifesting against the murder of his fellow-citizens. The state needs to constantly support the high level of hatred towards Donvbass – otherwise the war will end.
3) Great attention of the authorities is now concentrated on us, folks! “What will the reaction be? Will they resist? Will there be any protests?” The fate of Ruslan and his family depends, strange s it may seem, on me and you! This is the first protest against today’s tyranny and violation of human rights. Why? Because there is no war. There was no breakup of diplomatic relations. The ATO is the prerogative of SSU or Police at best. We’ve got about 200.000 of policemen, about 30.000 security service workers, about 200.000 military men. On the side of separatists about 30 – 40.000 people are fighting in Donbass. We can win by sheer numbers. But who is thrown into battle? Inexperienced green troopers, first of all Maidan activists. I do remember that footage from YouTube in which the rebel asks the 16 troopers captured in the airport – “Occupation?” And the answers are: “Worker… porter… driver… builder… actor…” – “Is there at least one military man here?” None. Make your conclusions. Those who do it pursue their own political and economic goals. Ruslan expressed his opinion and is detained now.
4) Because no war had been declared, the opinion of Ruslan Kotsaba, a citizen and a journalist, has every right to be expressed, just like mine or yours. We can support or criticize him, but his arrest is the first brick into the wall of terror on the already built basis of the state headed by military criminals.
That is why, if we want Ruslan to be out and the freedom of speech remain at least in You Tube, we have to express our support of Ruslan and manifest our indignation with the actions of the Security Service by all means.
And pay attention to the silence of the international legal institutions, which had been shouting so loudly in such instances before!