LONDON, August 13. /TASS/. The BBC condemns Russia’s decision not to extend its Moscow correspondent’s working visa, BBC Director General Tim Davie said in a statement on Friday.
"The expulsion of Sarah Rainsford is a direct assault on media freedom which we condemn unreservedly," he said. "We urge the Russian authorities to reconsider their decision. In the meantime, we will continue to report events in the region independently and impartially."
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that Moscow had explained to BBC representatives why it has taken such a decision. She recalled that Moscow had repeatedly warned of a possible response "to London’s visa abuses against a Russian correspondent in Britain, but the BBC kept on ignoring it.
Sarah Rainsford’s visa, according to Bloomberg, expires on August 31.