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Turning blind eye to migration law violation by journalist Ali Feruz impossible — Kremlin

The Kremlin spokesman added that Russia’s migration authorities and authorities in general had been keeping an eye on this issue
Khudoberdi Nurmatov, also known as Ali Feruz Vlad Dokshin/Novaya Gazeta
Khudoberdi Nurmatov, also known as Ali Feruz
© Vlad Dokshin/Novaya Gazeta

NOVOBUREISKY VILLAGE /Amur region/, August 3. /TASS/. A number of factors prevent Russia’s authorities from turning a blind eye to the fact that correspondent for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper Khudoberdi Nurmatov (also known under his alias Ali Feruz) violated migration rules, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"We have information about this issue, but, let’s put it this way - the situation is very difficult and a number of factors prevent us from turning a blind eye to the violations that have occurred," the Russian presidential spokesman said.

Peskov added that Russia’s migration authorities and authorities in general had been keeping an eye on this issue.

Feruz was detained on August 1 near Novaya Gazeta’s Moscow office. On Wednesday, Moscow’s Basmanny District Court made a decision that Feruz, who is a citizen of Uzbekistan, should be expelled from Russia. He was also sentenced to a fine of 5,000 rubles ($82). According to the court ruling, Feruz will remain at Moscow’s Temporary Detention Center for foreign citizens until his sentence is implemented.

The court had found the journalist guilty of violating part 3.1 of Article 18.8 of the Russian Administrative Code, which concerns entry and residence rules set for foreign nationals and stateless persons. After that, Novaya Gazeta’s staff wrote a joint letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking him to interfere in the situation.