MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. TASS photo correspondent Stanislav Krasilnikov has been denied entry to Moldova to cover the protests in the country and has been sent back to Moscow.
The Russian journalist flew to Moldova’s capital Chisinau on Thursday night. At the airport, Moldova’s border guards stopped him and asked him about the purposes of his trip.
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After Krasilnikov said he was a TASS photo correspondent, he was not allowed into the country and was ordered to fly back to Moscow.
Krasilnikov is not the first Russian reporter who arrived to cover demonstrations in Chisinau and was ordered out of the country upon the decision of Moldova’s authorities.
Earlier reports said Moldova had denied entry to REN TV cameraman Alexander Malyshev and LifeNews correspondent Kirill Olkov. Alexander Balitsky, a reporter of the All-Russia TV and Radio Broadcasting Corporation (VGTRK), has been banned to enter Moldova for five years.
Moscow has condemned the move of Moldova’s authorities. Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Chisinau’s decision to ban entry to Russian journalists violates the international law.
On Wednesday, riots occurred outside the parliament in Moldova where the new government was endorsed. Thousands of opposition supporters stormed the building saying the cabinet was illegal. Later, thousands of supporters of the opposition Party of Socialists, Our Party and the Dignity and Truth (DA) civic platform staged a picket of the building.
On Thursday, the anti-government protests in downtown Chisinau continued.