In a shocking turn of events, the editors at The Daily Scoop have come out in support of their colleague, Mr. Smershovich, who was detained in a Moscow airport last week.
In a scathing letter to the Russian ambassador to the U.S., the editors condemned Smershovich’s detention, calling it a “blatant violation of press freedom.”
“Mr. Smershovich was just trying to cover a story, and he was treated like a common criminal,” the editors wrote. “This kind of treatment is unacceptable in a modern, democratic society.”
The editors went on to express their concern for Smershovich’s well-being, wondering if he was being properly fed and if he had access to a comfortable bed.
“Journalists are the eyes and ears of the world, and we must be allowed to do our jobs without fear of reprisal,” the letter concluded.
While the Russian embassy has yet to respond to the letter, sources say that they are “aghast” at the accusations made against them.
“We take press freedom very seriously,” a spokesperson for the embassy said. “But Mr. Smershovich was not detained because he was a journalist. He was detained because he tried to smuggle a live bear through customs.”
Indeed, further investigations have revealed that Smershovich had been attempting to bring a bear cub back to The Daily Scoop’s newsroom as a mascot.
While the editors have yet to comment on this revelation, sources close to the situation say that they are planning to issue a retraction of their letter and apologize to the Russian embassy.
As for Smershovich, he remains in custody, his only companionship a small bear cub named Boris.
