Chief of Rossiya Segodnya Denies Endorsing Non-Accreditation of Journalists in Belarus

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2020) Dmitry Kiselev, the head of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, refuted on Friday reports that he had allegedly endorsed Belarus in denying accreditation to journalists of Russia's Channel One.

On Thursday, an article was published in Russian media in which Kiselev was cited as expressing support of Belarus in denying accreditation to Russian journalists in Minsk and describing it as any country's right.

"The deprivation of accreditation of the Russian journalist - the representative of Channel One in Minsk - is an impossible, extreme measure, clearly an overreaction. It can go way too far.

Now is not the time for it. And I have never supported this step by [Belarusian President Aleksander] Lukashenko. If someone interprets my words as support, then this is professionally dishonest. Here is my refutation," Kiselev said on his Telegram channel.

On Wednesday, media reported that the Belarusian Foreign Ministry had revoked the accreditation of Channel One journalists over claims that the broadcaster had allegedly shot a fallacious report about the COVID-19 situation in Belarus. The ministry's spokesperson has confirmed to Sputnik the decision to deny accreditation to the Channel One cameraman and correspondent but did not specify the reasons why.