Interfax: Ekho Moskvy editor-in-chief protests against its correspondent not being allowed to enter Ukraine

MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) – The Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio station has expressed protests against the fact that its correspondent was not allowed to enter Ukraine.

“I protest strongly against the fact that Ekho Moskvy correspondent was not allowed to enter Ukraine,” Ekho Moskvy Editor-in-Chief Alexei Venediktov said in a statement obtained by Interfax on Monday.

On April 14 Ekho Moskvy correspondent Vsevolod Boiko was sent by the editor-in-chief to Ukraine’s Donetsk region in order to cover the events, which are of extreme importance for entire world, the document said.

“However, despite the fact that the correspondent was sent to Donetsk in accordance with all international rules, the border services did not let him into Ukraine, did not give him a chance to confirm his financial solvency and deported him back to Moscow,” Venediktov said.

The Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly accused Russian mass media outlets of distorting information on Ukraine, however the authorities themselves do not allow reporters to enter Ukraine over contrived and ridiculous reasons, Venediktov said.

“I emphasize that in the future Ekho Moskvy will dedicate a significant part of its broadcasts to the events in Ukraine regardless of the ability of our reporters to enter the country,” the editor-in-chief said.

“You limit the possibility of us informing our listeners and website guests, of letting them draw conclusions themselves on the Ukrainian authorities and their aspiration for democracy and transparency. I suppose that such actions will be discussed in international reporters’ organizations,” the statement said.

It has been reported that Ukrainian border guards did not allow Boiko to enter Ukraine. This is not the first case when Russian reporters were not allowed to enter Ukraine. Entry bans have been issued for several crews of Ren-TV, NTV and other reporters.