BBC journalist says he has left Russia for British exile

12/28/2021

Moscow, Dec. 28: An investigative journalist for the BBC’s Russian-language service in Moscow said in a video released on Monday that he had felt compelled to leave Russia for self-imposed exile in Britain due to what he called unprecedented surveillance.

 

Russian authorities designated Andrei Zakharov a “foreign agent” in October, a decision the British broadcaster said at the time it strongly rejected and would try to overturn.

The designation was the latest twist in a crackdown on media outlets that the authorities in Moscow see as hostile and foreign-backed. Separately, BBC journalist Sarah Rainsford left Russia in August after Moscow refused to extend her permission to work in what it said was a tit-for-tat row with Britain over the treatment of foreign media.

The foreign agent designation has Cold War-era connotations and requires those so labelled to prominently indicate in all their content that they are “foreign agents”, something which can hurt advertising revenue.

Zakharov said in the video posted from London on YouTube that he had felt compelled to leave Russia after noticing what he called “unprecedented surveillance” of his activities in Moscow.

He did not say who was watching him and added he wasn’t sure if he was being followed because of his foreign agent designation or because of a recent investigation he had carried out into alleged Russian hackers.

The Russian interior ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the video.

The Kremlin has repeatedly said that journalists and media outlets designated as foreign agents can continue their work in Russia.

 

The BBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the remarks from Zakharov, who has investigated topics ranging from President Vladimir Putin’s personal history to Russian disinformation factories.-Reuters

Related News

China, Pakistan and Russia trying to figure out what to do with Taliban, says Biden

Washington, Sept. 8: China, Pakistan, Russia and Iran are trying to figure out what do they do now with the Taliban, US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday. Hours after the Taliban announced the details of its interim government, Biden told reporters that China had a "real problem" with the…

Indo-Canadian lawmaker condemns killing of Indian youth, says fight to eradicate racism must continue

Toronto, Sept. 9: An Indo-Canadian lawmaker on Thursday condemned the murder of an Indian youth in Canada’s Nova Scotia province, saying hate, violence and racism have no place in the country and the fight to eradicate these menaces must continue. Prabhjot Singh Katri, 23, was found murdered at an apartment…

Interim Taliban govt does not reflect what international community hoped to see: US

Washington, Sept. 10: The interim Taliban government does not reflect what the international community and the United States hoped to see, the Biden Administration said on Thursday. "We have spoken about our reaction to the initial caretaker government. You have heard us say that the lack of inclusivity, the track…

India, Australia emphasise on importance of combating terrorism without compromise

New Delhi, Sept. 11: In a high-level foreign and defence ministerial dialogue, India and Australia on Saturday set out an ambitious framework for defence with Afghanistan as a major subject of discussion. During the inaugural ‘two-plus-two’ talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and their…

Afghan musicians flee Kabul, fearing for their lives and dire future for art under Taliban rule

Peshawar, Sept. 12: Ashraf Gulzar, an Afghan singer, mentioned the Taliban have banned all music programmes in Kabul which is a matter of concern for the individuals related to the music trade. The scheduled music occasions organized with Pakistani artists in Kabul, Jalalabad, and different large cities of Afghanistan have…

Taliban breaking promises, including over women, says UN

Geneva, Sept. 13: Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have contradicted public promises on rights, including by ordering women to stay at home, blocking teenage girls from school and holding house-to-house searches for former foes, a United Nations official said on Monday. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Afghanistan was in…

Video

Find Us on Facebook

From Social

Tehran, June 21: As India presses ahead with Operation Sindhu to evacuate its citizens from Iran amid intensifying hostilities in the Middle East, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has announced that, upon formal requests from the governments of Nepal and Sri…

India to evacuate Nepalese, Sri Lankan nationals from Iran amid escalating tensions    

Kathmandu, Nov. 24: The joint training exercise "SURYA KIRAN-XVII" of Nepali Army and Indian Army is starting from 24 November 2023 in Pithoragarh, India. The Nepalese army team that will participate in the exercise, which will be attended by the…

Nepal-India Joint Military Training Excerise Surya Kiran Begin Today    

New Delhi, May 5: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour for this year’s Bastille Day Parade in Paris scheduled to take place on July 14.  In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of…

Indian PM Modi to attend Bastille Day Parade in Paris as guest of honour on July 14