MOSCOW, May 30 (RAPSI) – Council of Europe has resolutely condemned the murder of prominent Russian journalist Arcady Babchenko in Kiev and called for full and rapid investigation into the crime, according to the statement published on Twitter account of the organization’s Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.

According to Jagland, attacks against journalists and freedom of speech “are on the rise in Europe.”

“We must do all we can to stop this trend, which is a dangerous threat to democracy,” the statement reads.

According to preliminary data of Ukraine’s national police, Babchenko died after he was shot in the back. His wife turned to law enforcement saying that she found her wounded husband at their home.  Reportedly, he died in an ambulance on the way to a hospital.

Chairman of Russia's Presidential Council for Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov said that Babchenko was an experienced warzone journalist, who had his own worldview and critical perspective on Russian politics. His murder was a provocation, Fedotov added.   

Arcady Babchenko was a Russian writer, journalist and warzone reporter, who worked for leading media of the country such as the First Channel and Novaya Gazeta. According to open sources, Babchenko lived in Kiev since 2017 and was a host of a program at the Crimean Tatar TV channel ATR.