Russia says it will expel Dutch journalist in tit-for-tat move


Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attends a press conference following a meeting of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Erywan Yusof in Moscow, Russia, March 3, 2026. Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS

LONDON, April 1 (Reuters) - ⁠Russia said on Wednesday it ⁠would kick out a Dutch journalist ‌in response to what it called the expulsion of a correspondent of Russian state news agency ​RIA from the Netherlands.

Foreign ⁠Ministry spokeswoman Maria ⁠Zakharova said Moscow had decided to revoke ⁠the Dutch ‌journalist's accreditation and residence permit. She did not name ⁠their media organisation.

The decision could be ​reviewed if ‌the Dutch government created "appropriate conditions" for ⁠the Russian ​journalist to work, she said.

Only a small number of Western journalists remain in ⁠Russia following an exodus in ​2022 when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and introduced censorship laws ⁠setting prison terms for spreading "false information" about the war.

Russia frequently complains about what it says is unfair treatment of ​its journalists in the ⁠West. It continues to accredit some journalists ​from what it considers "unfriendly" ‌countries, and expulsions are ​relatively rare.

(Writing by Mark Trevelyan in London; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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