Russian Reporters Denied Entry Into Moldova Over Failure to Explain Visit

CHISINAU (Sputnik) — On Thursday, crews from three Russian TV channel, namely the All-Russian Television and Radio Network (VGTRK), Life News and REN TV, who were set to cover the ongoing protests in Chisinau, were denied entry to Moldova. VGTRK journalist Alexander Balitsky was refused entry because he had already been banned from visiting the country for five years.

"Really, this morning, five citizens of the Russian Federation, who had violated the rules of crossing the Moldovan border, were sent back to Russia from Chisinau [International] Airport," Chebotar told RIA Novosti.

According to Chebotar, "in the first case [of Balitsky], it is the case of a citizen, who was previously banned from entering the republic for five years."

The four others Russian citizens did not specify the purpose of their visit to Moldova, Chebotar said, noting that she does not know whether they had press cards.

Moldova has a track record of refusing Russian journalists entry to the country. In March 2015, Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency Director General Dmitry Kiselev and fellow Russian journalist Andrei Kondrashov received 5-year entry bans from the Moldovan authorities.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously condemned the "openly discriminatory" treatment of the Russian mass media in Moldova.