The BBC correspondent expelled by the Putin government spoke: “I have been told that I will never be able to return to Russia again”

The correspondent of the BBC that Moscow expelled, Sarah rainsford, said on Saturday that he had been informed that will never be able to return to Russia, a decision he considered “clear sign“ the deterioration of press freedom in the country.

“I was kicked out and they told me I could never turn back», He told the BBC Radio 4 the British journalist, who confessed to being very sad for having suddenly left a country where he has spent a third of his life and whose language he speaks.

The television network Rossya 24 explained Thursday that Rainsford’s visa expired on August 31 and would not be renewed, a measure presented in response to alleged pressure from the UK on Russian media operating on the island.

Russian authorities have repeatedly criticized Western media content on Russia, denouncing articles and reports deemed “anti-Russian”. But expulsions of journalists are very rare.

Rainsford had been declared an ungrateful person.

A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that would comment on the question once Rainsford did. Still not spoken. Meanwhile, the British Embassy in Moscow declined to comment immediately.

Rainsford will have to leave Russia before the end of the month, which is de facto the first expulsion of a British journalist in a decade. Recently, asked the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, if he was still the legitimate ruler of his country.

Belarusian authorities more than 20 people were arrested in the latest wave of arrests, continuing his sweeping crackdown on dissent a year after the fraudulent presidential elections, in which the dictator Lukashenko he was proclaimed the winner despite reports of irregularities.

The human rights center Viasna He denounced this Thursday that more than 20 people have been arrested in the last two days in six cities of the country. Among them is Andrey Dmitriev, former presidential candidate in the last election, who was arrested for questioning after a search of his apartment in Minsk. Hours later he was released, but it is unclear whether he faces any charges in court.

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