'Tape Over Your Camera Lenses' to Show Support for Missing Russian Journalist Stenin

Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency has launched a new campaign called "Tape Over Your Camera Lens," in support of its photographer Andrei Stenin, missing in Ukraine, calling for all photographers, bloggers, journalists and those concerned about Stenin’s fate to join.

MOSCOW, August 20 (RIA Novosti) - Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency has launched a new campaign called "Tape Over Your Camera Lens," in support of its photographer Andrei Stenin #freeAndrew, missing in Ukraine, calling for all photographers, bloggers, journalists and those concerned about Stenin’s fate to join.

All Rossiya Segodnya photographers, Stenin’s colleagues, took pictures holding cameras in their hands, a sticker with the hashtag #freeAndrew taped over their lenses. The photographers then posted the pictures on their websites or social networking profiles, in a display designed to show that the detention of photographers at sites of hostilities, rallies, or any events, denies society an objective picture of what is actually happening.

"Tape over the camera lenses of the journalists or do not let them on accident scenes at all. Stenin’s disappearance has shocked not only Russian, but also the international community of photographers. This is most certainly an attack on freedom of speech. In support of all journalists in conflict zones, and Andrei Stenin in particular, we have launched this campaign. Everyone who has ever held a camera in his hands may join the campaign by taping over the lens of his camera with a sticker," head of the Photography Department at Rossiya Segodnya, Alexander Shtol, said.

All those who care about the fate of the photographer can support the Rossiya Segodnya campaign. To take part, tape over your camera lens with a sticker and write #freeAndrew on it. After that, take picture of yourself holding the camera and post it on your website or a personal page on a social network.

Organizers of the "Tape Over Camera Lenses" campaign are to provide informational support until Andrei Stenin is freed, by posting materials on the RIA Novosti website at http://en.ria.ru.

Please, let us know by email at [e-mail], if you join the "Tape Over Camera Lenses" campaign. For further details about the campaign, please call [phone].

The more people join the campaign, the greater and more noticeable the support for Rossiya Segodnya photojournalist Andrei Stenin will be.

Stenin had been working in eastern Ukraine and has been unreachable since August 5. According to preliminary information, Stenin was arrested and held by the Security Service of Ukraine. The Russian government, Russian and international social and professional organizations, Rossiya Segodnya, human rights activists and many people in Russia and globally are doing everything they can to spur Stenin’s immediate release.

Please support Andrei Stenin’s release by sharing the hashtag #freeAndrew in social networks. Andrei is a professional war photographer reporting from the most dangerous war zones in the world. You can view Andrei’s pictures from Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Libya here and his most recent shots from eastern Ukraine here.