MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) – Poland’s decision to deny further media accreditation to freelance correspondent Leonid Sviridov, working for Rossiya Segodnya, violates the basic principles of a democratic society, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
“We find Warsaw’s actions as a result of which Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency stringer Sviridov was stripped of his accreditation in Poland, where he has worked for many years, appalling,” the statement said.
“Such a move on the part of the Polish authorities, which is not motivated by anything, violates one of the basic principles of a democratic society, that Warsaw positions itself to be a champion of, namely the freedom of speech. We are waiting for explanations from the Polish side and reserve the right for an adequate response,” the statement added.
On Tuesday, Polish authorities announced their decision to cancel Leonid Sviridov's residence permit without specifying reasons of such a move.
Earlier this month, Polish authorities cancelled Sviridov’s press accreditation. Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselev demanded that Polish authorities explain their actions without any further delay and stated that such actions contradicting "the European principles of freedom of speech and distribution of information".
Sviridov first received his press accreditation in the Polish Foreign Ministry in 1998. He has been working in the country since 2003.
