January 5, 2018

05/01/2018: LATVIA – EXPULSION OF TWO RUSSIAN JOURNALISTS FROM LATVIA

Vienna, 05/01/2018

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed concern regarding expulsion of two Russian journalist from Latvia

According to information before SEEMO, on 4 January 2018, the Russian journalist Olga Kurlaeva, who works for the Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company VGTRK, was detained and deported from the country. According to VGTRK, she has been accused of representing a threat to Latvia’s national security.

Only two days previously, on 2 January, her husband Anatoliy Kurlaev, who works for the Russian TVC state-owned TV channel, was also deported from Latvia.

“There is a lack of transparency in both cases. It is not acceptable that one EU country is doing something like this. Journalist must have the freedom of movement and free access to information. Maybe someone in Latvia was not happy with the reporting of this two Russian journalists – but it is not acceptable to stop the journalists to work. It is a clear attack on press freedom”, Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO secretary general said.