BRITISH JOURNALIST DENIED ENTRY VISA

IFEX, Canada
Int’l Freedom of Expression eXpress
July 5 2006

Date: 04 July 2006
Source: Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations (CJES)
Person(s): Thomas de Vaal
Target(s): journalist(s)
Type(s) of violation(s): other
Urgency: Threat

(CJES/IFEX) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (MID) has
denied an entry visa to the Caucasus Editor and Project Coordinator
for the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) in London, Mr.

Thomas de Vaal. The journalist sought entry in response to an
invitation from the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) to participate
in the launching ceremony for the Russian translation of his book
"Black Garden", focusing on the events and situation in Nagorny
Karabakh.

The MID invoked a law which allows the denial of entry to foreigners
if considered necessary to guarantee the safety of the state. In the
official justification for the visa denial, of which CJES has a copy,
it is written: "According to item 1 of clause 27 of the Federal
Law from August, 15th, 1996 114-FZ, ‘On order of departure from
the Russian Federation and entrance to the Russian Federation’, the
citizen of Great Britain, Mr. De Vaal Thomas Patrick, born 12/7/1966,
is not allowed to enter the territory of the Russian Federation". The
document was signed by the chief of registration for the invitations
department, Mr. N. Kurakov.

"We are sure that the denial of the visa is, first of all, related to
the fact that Thomas de Vaal wrote about the Chechen Republic. This
theme was present in his articles when he was a correspondent for
‘The Moscow Times’ and ‘The Times’", said CJES Director Oleg Panfilov.

Panfilov also noted that de Vaal "is known as well for having been a
witness in London in the legal proceedings on the possible extradition
of Ahmed Zakaev".

As de Vaal told Panfilov, he was surprised by the visa denial since,
after having served as witness on the legal proceedings for Ahmad
Zakaev in London, "he has already twice visited Russia".

According to de Vaal, his visa denial, and especially its justification
on grounds of his being a "threat to safety of Russia", "is ironic
enough", considering he had communicated with MID employees and other
officials, some of whom had even been invited to the launching of
his book in Moscow.

Panfilov observes that it not the first time authorities have forbidden
entrance to foreign journalists: "Since 2000, we have collected a list
of names of journalists who have been denied Russian entry visas,
and this list now contains more than 30 names. I think that all
this is connected with the Chechen Republic because almost all those
journalists to whom a visa was denied either had worked in the Chechen
Republic or wrote about it, as is the case with Thomas de Vaal".