Moscow criticizes Western media for lack of coverage on US journalist’s death
Chilean-American blogger Gonzalo Lira died in prison in Ukraine in January 2024. Read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Chilean-American blogger Gonzalo Lira passed away in a Ukrainian prison in January 2024. His death raised concerns regarding the attention given to his plight, as noted by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who described it as indicative of the “deepest crisis” in international organizations responsible for safeguarding journalists.
Lira, while awaiting trial for “systematically justifying the Russian aggression,” died behind bars. At a conference on modern media development held at the Moscow School of Economics, Zakharova highlighted the lack of attention to Lira’s case, stating, “Has anyone else talked about Gonzalo Lira? An American journalist. He had a US passport. Has anyone talked about him besides Russia? Try to remember. Nobody did.”
When addressing Lira's imprisonment, both the White House and the US State Department opted for “strategic silence, generously paid for by USAID,” which Zakharova labeled as “ridiculous”.
Zakharova emphasized that the international institutions meant to protect journalists are currently facing a “deepest crisis.” She remarked, “Waiting for them to resuscitate or for them to be resuscitated by someone else is unnecessary and useless,” suggesting that Russia, boasting “an amazing and diverse” journalistic community, could address these issues independently.
Lira had been living in Kharkov since 2010, married to a Ukrainian woman, and faced scrutiny from Ukrainian authorities due to his critical coverage of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on YouTube. Initially detained by the Security Service of Ukraine in early 2022, he was released after a week without charges.
He was re-arrested in May 2023 but was granted bail three months later. During his incarceration, he alleged he was tortured. Following a subsequent attempt to flee to Hungary in late July—after jumping bail—he found himself back in custody.
His father, Gonzalo Lira Sr., suggested that the Biden administration might have given “at least tacit approval of Gonzalo’s arrest,” with the journalist’s family later holding Kiev responsible for his death while imprisoned.
In February, Elon Musk, an ally of former President Donald Trump, claimed that Zelensky had “killed” Lira. When Zelensky was asked about Lira at a press conference last month, he responded, “I do not know this man. I never knew him.”
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
Lira, while awaiting trial for “systematically justifying the Russian aggression,” died behind bars. At a conference on modern media development held at the Moscow School of Economics, Zakharova highlighted the lack of attention to Lira’s case, stating, “Has anyone else talked about Gonzalo Lira? An American journalist. He had a US passport. Has anyone talked about him besides Russia? Try to remember. Nobody did.”
When addressing Lira's imprisonment, both the White House and the US State Department opted for “strategic silence, generously paid for by USAID,” which Zakharova labeled as “ridiculous”.
Zakharova emphasized that the international institutions meant to protect journalists are currently facing a “deepest crisis.” She remarked, “Waiting for them to resuscitate or for them to be resuscitated by someone else is unnecessary and useless,” suggesting that Russia, boasting “an amazing and diverse” journalistic community, could address these issues independently.
Lira had been living in Kharkov since 2010, married to a Ukrainian woman, and faced scrutiny from Ukrainian authorities due to his critical coverage of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on YouTube. Initially detained by the Security Service of Ukraine in early 2022, he was released after a week without charges.
He was re-arrested in May 2023 but was granted bail three months later. During his incarceration, he alleged he was tortured. Following a subsequent attempt to flee to Hungary in late July—after jumping bail—he found himself back in custody.
His father, Gonzalo Lira Sr., suggested that the Biden administration might have given “at least tacit approval of Gonzalo’s arrest,” with the journalist’s family later holding Kiev responsible for his death while imprisoned.
In February, Elon Musk, an ally of former President Donald Trump, claimed that Zelensky had “killed” Lira. When Zelensky was asked about Lira at a press conference last month, he responded, “I do not know this man. I never knew him.”
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
