Russia Expels Two ARD Journalists in Retaliation for German Residency Denials

Russia has expelled two journalists from Germany’s public broadcaster ARD, claiming it’s a retaliatory measure against Germany’s refusal to grant residency permits to journalists from Russia’s state media outlet Channel One, The Associated Press reports.

The move has been condemned by Germany as “unacceptable” and “arbitrary.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced Wednesday that the accreditation of ARD correspondent Frank Aischmann and a technical employee had been revoked, ordering them to leave the country. Zakharova hinted at the possibility of reinstating ARD’s accreditation if Germany allows Channel One journalists to operate freely in Berlin.

This action follows Berlin’s rejection of residency permits for the head of Channel One’s Berlin bureau and a cameraman on November 22. While the Russian broadcaster says its Berlin office has been shut down, the German foreign ministry denies this, stating that the decisions regarding residency permits can be appealed through the legal system.

Channel One has been subject to EU sanctions since December 2022, prohibiting its broadcasting within the European Union. However, these sanctions do not prevent Channel One staff from residing in EU countries.

The expulsions are not the first instance of this tit-for-tat response. Previously, Germany also refused residency permits to a Brazilian citizen working for Ruptly, a Russian state-owned video news agency, and the head of Rossiya Segodnya’s Berlin office and his wife.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry criticized Russia’s actions on X (formerly Twitter).” WDR, the ARD branch responsible for reporting from Russia, confirmed the expulsion of its staff.