25. 05. 2015

NUNS protests Russia's decision to deny entry to journalist

25.5.2015. (Tanjug) - NUNS has protested in the strongest terms the decision of Russian authorities to deny entry to a journalist.

The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) said it "expects the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian embassy to explain why Stevan Dojcinovic was not able to stay in that country," a statement said.

Dojconovic, who works for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), was to give a lecture at the Faculty of Journalism in Voronezh, RF.

NUNS said on Monday that despite having a letter of invitation and valid documents he was held in isolation for 24 hours at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on May 13, and then sent back o Serbia.

"Without any explanation, he was told that he has been denied entry to Russia until 2020," the association said, and added that it considers this to be "scandalous" as Dojcinovic "broke no law, nor is there any basis to limit his movement, all the more since he went to Russia on the invitation of the faculty."

NUNS now "expects an explanation from the Russian authorities because such acts bring into question basic international democratic standards that guarantee freedom of movement for journalists without any limitations."