KYIV. Nov 17 (Interfax) - Pavlo Sharoiko, a correspondent for UA: Ukrainian Radio in Belarus and a Ukrainian citizen, was arrested in Minsk at the end of October and is suspected of spying, Ukrainian National Radio Company (Ukrainian Radio) Deputy Editor-in-Chief Svitlana Myalyk said citing Sharoiko's wife.
"Ukrainian Radio resident correspondent in Belarus Pavlo Sharoiko has been arrested. I learned about this from Pavlo's wife Olena. She said the arrest had taken place in Minsk on October 25," Myalyk said on her Facebook page on Friday.
Before Sharoiko's arrest, Belarusian security forces searched his home, she said.
"Pavlo is suspected of spying. Communication with him is via correspondence. No meeting has been allowed," Myalyk said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it is taking steps to protect Sharoiko's rights.
"The Foreign Ministry is aware of a Ukrainian citizen's detention in Belarus. The Foreign Ministry is taking measures to protect the detained Ukrainian citizen's rights," Foreign Ministry Consular Service spokesperson Vasyl Kyrylych told the online publication Ukrayinska Pravda.
Asked about the reasons of the journalist's detention, Kyrylych replied, "We have no comment on the circumstances of the detention."
News about Sharoiko's detention in Belarus came earlier on Friday from Zurab Alasania, the chairman of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, and Ukrainian Radio General Producer Dmytro Khorkin.
Alasania said Sharoiko was charged with spying, which he described as a standard charge brought against foreign correspondents.
The Ukrainian Embassy to Belarus has neither denied nor confirmed Sharoiko's arrest, Ukrainian Radio said.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has refrained from commenting on reports of Sharoiko's detention.
The Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) also declined to comment on the journalist's detention.
"We won't comment on this situation for the time being," KGB spokesman Dmitry Pobyarzhin told Interfax.