• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

ABC Persona Non Grata in Russia - Foreign Ministry

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 August 2005, 21:00 CDT

MOSCOW. Aug 2 (Interfax) - The U.S. TV company ABC is not welcome to contact any Russian government organization or agency, and the accreditation of its employers in Russia will not be extended, the Russian Foreign Ministry information and press department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Moreover, "taking into account all the circumstances surrounding the broadcasting of [] an interview with internationally-recognized terrorist Shamil Basayev, the obvious fact of the facilitation of terrorist propaganda and direct calls to perpetrate violent acts against Russian citizens that were broadcast, Russia has made the decision that the accreditation of this TV company's employers will not be extended upon expiration," the Foreign Ministry said.

"We would also like to add that Moscow took notice of the fact that the interview with the terrorist was conducted by Andrei Babitsky, a full-time employee of Radio Liberty, in violation of Russian law and without proper accreditation. The circumstances of the organization of this interview have yet to be clarified with his employer," it said.

Meanwhile, Interfax learned that ABC does not currently have a permanent office in Moscow. Certain information indicates that the ABC management decided to close down its office in Moscow several months ago as part of a cost-cutting plan.

The interview, in which Basayev claimed he is not responsible for the Beslan hostage-taking, was broadcast by ABC News channel on July 29, which drew harsh responses and caused outrage in Moscow and Grozny.

"We view this as an extreme outrage, because one of the terroristswith most blood on his hands was provided with the chance to speak publicly," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Chechen President Alu Alkhanov accused certain Western countries and the media of following the so-called "double standard" policy in relation to international terrorist leaders.

The Russian Defense Ministry declared ABC "persona non grata" following the interview with Basayev. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told journalists in Vladivostok on Sunday that the TV channel will no longer be allowed to work at Defense Ministry sites. "If we talk about a response to this, I issued an order to the chief of the press service today that not a single Defense Ministry serviceman may maintain contacts with the American TV company ABC," Ivanov said.

Source: Daily News Bulletin; Moscow - English

More News in this Category