{
  "id": 131,
  "slug": "2022-russia-bars-entry-foreign-journalists",
  "title": "Russia: entry bans, visa restrictions and bureau closures for foreign correspondents",
  "occurred_on": "2022-06-16",
  "occurred_on_precision": "day",
  "ended_on": null,
  "jurisdiction": "RU",
  "country": "RU",
  "continent": "europe",
  "level": "national",
  "type": "access_ban",
  "tactic_primary": "access_ban",
  "leader_slug": "vladimir-putin",
  "issue_of_the_day": "Russia's actions followed Western governments' sanctions on Russian state broadcasters and officials after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.",
  "outcome": "sustained",
  "outcome_on": "2022-06-16",
  "outcome_note": "The bans on named British and Australian journalists and the suspension of simplified visas for European journalists remained in effect through 2022 according to the source reviewed.",
  "granularity": "granular",
  "era": "2020s",
  "summary": "Over several months in 2022, Russian authorities closed a Canadian broadcaster's Moscow bureau, barred dozens of named British and Australian journalists from entering the country, and suspended simplified visa rules for European journalists.{c:496}{c:559}{c:560}{c:561}",
  "what_happened": "Across the spring of 2022, Russian authorities took a series of steps to keep foreign journalists out of the country. On May 18, Russian authorities moved to close CBC/Radio-Canada's Moscow bureau and cancel the visa and accreditation of its journalists, matching Canada's decision to bar Russian state television. On June 14, Russia barred 49 British citizens, including 29 named journalists, from entering the country. Two days later, it barred 121 Australians, including journalists from ABC News, the Sydney Morning Herald, Nine News and Sky News. Separately, President Vladimir Putin signed a law suspending simplified visa procedures for several categories of visitors, including journalists, coming from most European countries. Russian officials framed each step as a response matching measures taken by the country concerned against Russian state media or officials, rather than as a general press policy.{c:496}{c:559}{c:560}{c:561}\n\nThe entry bans and visa restrictions remained in force through 2022 with no indication of reversal in the source reviewed.{c:496}{c:559}{c:560}{c:561}",
  "stated_justification": "Russian officials presented the entry bans on British and Australian journalists as a response matching measures the United Kingdom and Australia had taken against Russian journalists and officials; a specific legal justification beyond that framing was not detailed in the source reviewed.{c:496}{c:559}{c:560}{c:561}",
  "effect_on_reporting": "Named journalists from CBC, the BBC, the Sydney Morning Herald and other outlets lost the ability to report from inside Russia in person, and foreign outlets lost simplified visa access for future correspondents.{c:496}",
  "unknowns": "The source reviewed does not give a complete published list of the 29 British or the Australian journalists named, or confirm whether any individual ban was later lifted.",
  "status": "in_effect",
  "status_updated_on": "2026-09-22",
  "external_ids": {},
  "illustration_key": null,
  "pub_state": "published",
  "published_at": "2026-09-23T01:14:53Z",
  "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22",
  "next_review_on": "2026-12-22",
  "revision": 9,
  "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:14:48Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-09-23T02:20:18Z",
  "stage": "punish",
  "ladder_note": "Dozens of named foreign correspondents were barred from entering the country by law and by sanction, not merely excluded from one building or briefing.",
  "country_name": "Russia",
  "tactics": [
    "access_ban"
  ],
  "leader": {
    "slug": "vladimir-putin",
    "name": "Vladimir Putin",
    "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/vladimir-putin"
  },
  "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-russia-bars-entry-foreign-journalists",
  "page_meta": {
    "published": "2026-09-23T01:14:53Z",
    "reviewed": "2026-09-22",
    "sources": 4,
    "status": "in_effect",
    "statusAsOf": "2026-09-22",
    "unknowns": "The source reviewed does not give a complete published list of the 29 British or the Australian journalists named, or confirm whether any individual ban was later lifted."
  },
  "actors": [
    {
      "slug": "vladimir-putin",
      "name": "Vladimir Putin",
      "kind": "person",
      "role": "ordered",
      "role_at_time": null,
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/actors/vladimir-putin"
    }
  ],
  "outlets": [
    {
      "slug": "bbc",
      "name": "BBC",
      "relation": "affected",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/bbc"
    },
    {
      "slug": "cbc-radio-canada",
      "name": "CBC/Radio-Canada",
      "relation": "affected",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/cbc-radio-canada"
    }
  ],
  "journalists": [],
  "cases": [],
  "related": [],
  "events": [],
  "claims": [
    {
      "id": 496,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 131,
      "field": "effect_on_reporting",
      "value": "visa procedures suspended",
      "statement": "Putin signed a law suspending simplified visa procedures for journalists and other visitors from most European countries.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 336,
      "evidence_quote": "suspending simplified visa procedures for designated categories of people — including journalists — coming to Russia from most European countries",
      "evidence_date": "2022-03-11",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:14:51Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 336,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2022/03/russia-ukraine-war-press-freedom-watch/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2022/03/russia-ukraine-war-press-freedom-watch/",
        "title": "Russia-Ukraine war press freedom watch",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2022-03-11",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/496"
    },
    {
      "id": 559,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 131,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "CBC bureau closed, May 18, 2022",
      "statement": "Russian authorities moved to close CBC/Radio-Canada's Moscow bureau and cancel its journalists' visas and accreditation.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 336,
      "evidence_quote": "close the outlet's Moscow bureau and cancel the visa and accreditations of its journalists",
      "evidence_date": "2022-03-11",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:30:17Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 336,
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        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2022/03/russia-ukraine-war-press-freedom-watch/",
        "title": "Russia-Ukraine war press freedom watch",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
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        "link_state": "live",
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        "wayback_url": null,
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      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/559"
    },
    {
      "id": 560,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 131,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "49 British citizens barred, June 14, 2022",
      "statement": "Russia barred 49 British citizens, including 29 journalists, from entering the country.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 336,
      "evidence_quote": "imposed sanctions on 49 British citizens, including 29 journalists",
      "evidence_date": "2022-03-11",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:30:17Z",
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        "id": 336,
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        "title": "Russia-Ukraine war press freedom watch",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
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      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/560"
    },
    {
      "id": 561,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 131,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "121 Australians barred, June 16, 2022",
      "statement": "Russia barred 121 Australians, including journalists from four named outlets, from entering the country.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 336,
      "evidence_quote": "121 Australians, including journalists from ABC News, Sydney Morning Herald, Nine News, and Sky News",
      "evidence_date": "2022-03-11",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
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    {
      "id": 406,
      "url": "https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/russia-closes-moscow-bureau-canadian-broadcaster-cbc-2022-05-18/",
      "final_url": "https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/russia-closes-moscow-bureau-canadian-broadcaster-cbc-2022-05-18/",
      "title": "Russia closes Moscow bureau of Canadian broadcaster CBC",
      "publisher": "Reuters",
      "published_on": "2022-05-18",
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      "url": "https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/russia-bans-29-british-journalists-entering-2022-06-14/",
      "final_url": "https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/russia-bans-29-british-journalists-entering-2022-06-14/",
      "title": "Russia bans 29 British journalists, along with defence figures",
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      "final_url": "https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-bans-121-australians-including-journalists-defence-figures-2022-06-16/",
      "title": "Russia bans 121 Australians including journalists and defence figures",
      "publisher": "Reuters",
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  "revisions_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-russia-bars-entry-foreign-journalists/revisions",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
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  "cite_as": "Russia: entry bans, visa restrictions and bureau closures for foreign correspondents. The War On News, thewaronnews.com. https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-russia-bars-entry-foreign-journalists. Retrieved 2026-09-23."
}