Second journalist from Austrian public broadcaster forced to leave Moscow

Location: Russia, Moscow
Date: June 26, 2024

Women Press Freedom denounces Russia’s decision to revoke the accreditation of Carola Schneider, a seasoned Moscow correspondent for Austria’s ORF. Schneider has been ordered to leave the country, marking the second expulsion of an ORF journalist from Russia within a month. Last year, several foreign correspondents in Moscow were forced to leave under similar circumstances. The Kremlin’s targeting of Austrian reporters is a direct retaliation for the Austrian government's expulsion of two journalists from the Kremlin-run TASS agency, who were accused of involvement in intelligence activities. This revoking of accreditation is yet another way for the Russian state to limit foreign reporters and intimidate those who remain, stifling any semblance of a free press. The jailings, and continued prolonged detentions, of Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershovich and US-Russian Radio Free Europe editor Alsu Kurmasheva serve as a frightening reminder of the increasingly hostile and dangerous climate for foreign reporters in Russia. Women Press Freedom demands an end to the weaponization of accreditation to target foreign correspondents. Schneider and her colleague from ORF, Maria Knips-Witting, must be granted access to report and be allowed to return to the country.

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On June 26, 2024, it was revealed that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had revoked the accreditation of Carola Schneider, head of Austria’s public broadcaster ORF's Moscow bureau.

Schneider, a distinguished journalist and seasoned Russia expert, resumed her role as the head of ORF's Moscow bureau in October 2023 after a sabbatical. She had previously reported from Moscow between 2011 and 2021. In 2021, Schneider and her cameraman were detained by police in Minsk, Belarus, while reporting. Both were released after a short period.

Schneider’s expulsion follows the removal of Maria Knips-Witting, another ORF correspondent, just over two weeks ago. Knips-Witting, who has returned to Austria, continues to cover Russian affairs from Vienna.

The ORF has condemned Schneider’s forced removal. In a statement, the network highlighted the journalist’s long-standing adherence to Russian laws and her reputable reporting. The broadcaster described the decision as a clear act of hostility towards independent media.

These expulsions are a retaliatory measure by Russia, following Austria's revocation of accreditations for two Russian journalists from the state news agency Tass, Ivan Popov and Arina Davidyan. The Russian reporters were accused of engaging in intelligence activities.

These recent actions leave the Austrian public broadcaster without any journalists in Russia. The ORF has announced its intention to apply for new accreditations for its journalists, although there is uncertainty about whether these will be granted in a timely manner. The identity of the next ORF correspondent for Russia remains undecided, leaving the bureau potentially unstaffed.

In August and September 2023, Women Press Freedom documented the forced expulsions of three foreign correspondents from Russia amid increasing restrictions on press freedom and rising pressure on foreign reporters in the country. Eva Hartog, a Dutch journalist with POLITICO Europe and De Groene Amsterdammer, was informed that her visa would not be renewed after a decade in Moscow. Anna-Lena Laurén, a Swedish and Finnish correspondent critical of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, also had her accreditation revoked after 16 years. Luzia Tschirky of Swiss SRF News resigned as Moscow correspondent due to bureaucratic obstacles following her coverage of the Ukraine invasion.

On June 24, 2024, in retaliation to an EU ban on four Russian state media outlets, Russia blocked access to 81 European media companies, including Austria's ORF and Austrian Media Group and major German, Spanish, and French outlets. Last month, the EU branded Voice of Europe, the RIA news agency, and the Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspapers as “Kremlin-linked propaganda networks” and stripped them of their broadcasting rights in the bloc. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the 81 European media outlets banned of spreading false information about the Ukraine conflict. This countermeasure will remain unless the EU lifts its restrictions on Russian media.

This tit-for-tat expulsion of journalists and banning of media outlets is profoundly unjust and must stop. Both ORF journalists, Maria Knips-Witting and Carola Schneider, who were forced to leave Russia, are experienced and credible professionals with years of reporting on the country. They are now being used as pawns by the Kremlin to retaliate against the Austrian government, which is utterly unacceptable. Women Press Freedom demands that the Russian government cease its cynical tactic to silence independent reporting from trusted and credible foreign news outlets. ORF must be provided accreditation for its reporters so it can continue its coverage in Russia.

Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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