MOSCOW. Feb 9 (Interfax) - The Guardian views as unsound the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement explaining why its Moscow correspondent Luke Harding was recently denied entry to Russia.
"We are baffled by the statement issued by the Russian foreign ministry today. We have still not received an adequate explanation of why Luke Harding was deported on arrival at Moscow airport on Saturday February 5th, despite having a valid visa," The Guardian said in a statement Interfax received on Wednesday.
"Failure to collect his press card before leaving urgently on a trip to London is manifestly not a plausible reason for detaining Luke at the airport and refusing him entry to Russia," it said.
"This is part of a pattern of behaviour by the Russian foreign ministry who first expelled Luke Harding in November 2010. That expulsion was partially delayed after intervention by the British government, but it was understood that Luke would have to leave by May 2011," it said.