MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. Russia has imposed an entry ban on a number of Moldovan officials as a response measure to the persecution of Russian-language mass media in that country, the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday.

"On November 20, Moldovan Ambassador to Russia Lilian Darii was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry," it said. "A strong protest was expressed to the Moldovan side over the ongoing politically motivated persecution of Russian-language mass media in Moldova, including through blocking access to their websites."

"It was told to Lilian Darii that Russian bans entry for a number of Moldovan officials as an asymmetric measure," the ministry said.

Earlier, Chisinau suspended licenses of 12 Moldovan television channels, banned Russian television channels, blocked access to dozens of news portals. According to Alexandru Musteata, chief of Moldova’s Information and Security Service (SIB), these mass media outlets posed a threat to the country’s information security, adding to instability near Ukraine, NATO and the European Union.

These actions cause a public outcry in Moldova. Opposition leaders slammed the authorities for imposing censorship in the mass media, violating people’s rights to choose sources of information. They noted that these measures had been taken ahead of the general elections to local authorities.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that Russia would respond to Moldova’s measures against Russian-language media. According to Zakharova, this step indicates "steady degradation" of the freedom of expression and access to information in Moldova.