MOSCOW – Russia’s Overseas Ministry stated Wednesday it has revoked the accreditation of two staff with the German ARD broadcaster and ordered them to depart the nation in what it described as a retaliation to German authorities’ transfer focusing on two journalists from Russia’s state TV.
Ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova advised a briefing in Moscow that it could difficulty accreditation to different ARD staff if German authorities permit journalists from Russia’s Channel One to work in Berlin.
German Overseas Ministry spokesperson Christian Wagner denied the federal authorities had shut Channel One’s workplace, because the Russian broadcaster has claimed.
“The federal authorities has not closed the workplace of this broadcaster,” Wagner advised a information convention. “Russian journalists can report freely and unhindered in Germany.”
“I can solely surmise that this has to do with questions of residence standing,” however these aren’t handled by federal authorities in Germany and state authorities make their selections independently, Wagner added.
Channel One has been underneath European Union sanctions since December 2022 as tensions soared between Moscow and the West over Russia’s navy motion in Ukraine. The EU sanctions forestall it from broadcasting in Europe however do not have an effect on the presence of employees who work for it in Berlin.
Commenting on the choice to strip ARD staff in Moscow of their accreditation, Wagner stated: “If this report is true, then we’d, in fact, condemn it within the strongest phrases.”
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