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Foreign journalists are free to visit Crimea — Russian Foreign Ministry

"The requirement to obtain special permissions for journalists working in Crimea will soon lead to expansion of blacklists for journalists," the ministry spokesperson said
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova Artyom Geodakyan/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova
© Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

MOSCOW, September 24 /TASS/. A requirement that foreign journalists should have special permission to enter Crimea will in no way affect their work on the peninsula, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"First and foremost, I would like to reassure foreign correspondents and foreign journalists accredited in Russia. They will face absolutely no restrictions to enter and work in the territory of Crimea. The only thing they need to do is to abide by Russian laws; the Law on Mass Media as well as a provision on the work of foreign correspondents in Russia," Zakharova said adding that everybody who wanted to know about the true state of things in Crimea were free to do that unhindered in accordance with Russian laws.

"The requirement to obtain special permissions for journalists working in Crimea will soon lead to expansion of blacklists for journalists," Zakharova said.

Early in June, the Ukrainian government obliged foreigners and persons without citizenship to obtain special permissions to enter and leave the peninsula. A relevant resolution came into force on June 10. On September 24, the Ukrainian government published a resolution obliging foreign journalists, human rights activists and representatives of international organizations to obtain permission to enter Crimea.