Russian state television announced Thursday evening that the BBC´s Sarah Rainsford must leave Russia by a decision of the authorities, which the British public authority considered an "infringement of the freedom of the press."
Without revealing its source, Rossiya 24 TV channel said Thursday evening that the British journalist´s entry visa expires on August 31 and that it will not be renewed, in a measure considered in response to alleged British pressure on Russian media in the United Kingdom.
The Russian authorities continue to publicly criticize Western media content on Russia, regularly accusing it of publishing articles and reports deemed anti-Russian. But the expulsions of journalists were few.
"The expulsion of Sarah Rainsford constitutes a direct violation of press freedom, which we condemn without reservation," the BBC said in a statement Friday evening.
"We call on the Russian authorities to reverse their decision. In the meantime, we will continue to cover the region´s events in an independent and unbiased manner," describing Sarah Rainsford as an "exceptional and intrepid journalist."
For her part, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the news in veiled words on the Telegram application and said sarcastically: “Do not be ashamed! Everything was explained in detail to the BBC representatives who visited the State Department recently. They can say everything."
She added that Russia had previously, unsuccessfully, condemned "the insults that Russian correspondents were subjected to in Britain regarding the issuance of visas."
On August 9, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that unnamed British nationals were classified as persona non grata, “involved in anti-Russian activities.”
This measure was considered in response to the ban on entry of Russian citizens to the territory of the United Kingdom as part of British sanctions approved in the years 2020 and 2021.
This year, the Russian authorities intensified legal measures against the media, non-governmental organizations and Russian political organizations that are considered hostile to the authority and accused of being funded by the West or serving the interests of foreign countries.
