Russia
Guardian journalist who was refused entry into Russia allowed to returnPosted Feb 16 2011
Luke Harding, a Moscow correspondent for The Guardian, was allowed to return to the country on Feb. 12. He had previously been denied entry, had his visa annulled and deported to London by Russian immigration officials, The Wall Street Journal reports.
On Feb. 5, Harding traveled from London to Moscow, when he was detained at Domodedovo International Airport. His passport was seized, and he spent 45 minutes in an airport cell, after which he was put on the next available flight to London, according to The Guardian. He was not informed of the reason for his detention at the time.
In a statement issued by the Russian foreign ministry on Feb. 8, Harding was blamed for making “a number of violations of the rules for foreign correspondents.” Specifically, the ministry said that Harding’s press accreditation had not been renewed before he left Russia.
The real reason might be Harding’s unflattering coverage of Kremlin, according to several reports. At The Guardian, Harding reported on the WikiLeaks cables and their revelations about Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The cables, penned by U.S. diplomats, called Russia a “virtual mafia state.”
In addition, Harding co-authored a book called ‘WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy’, which was released in the UK days before his return to Moscow.
During his time as a correspondent, Harding also covered controversial topics like anti-terrorist operations in the North Caucasus and the death of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Harding told CPJ that the entire incident was “part of a move to get the truth-tellers out of the country.”
Peter Preston, former editor of The Guardian and columnist for Global Journalist, told the International Press Institute that Harding was “the most careful and balanced reporter, who has done exceptional work in Russia.”
“It’s an absolute tragedy for him and for Russia to see him treated in this fashion,” Preston said.
Soon after Harding’s deportation, British Foreign Secretary William Hague contacted the Russian foreign ministry and press freedom agencies called for his visa to be reissued. On Feb. 8, the ministry announced that Harding’s visa would be reissued and he could stay in the country till it expired in May. It is unclear whether he will be granted an extension after that.
Interestingly, the decision to allow Harding into the country has come just before Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s diplomatic visit to the UK this week, according to The Guardian.