The International Press Institute (IPI) today expressed concern over Russian authorities’ explanation of their decision to deny re-entry into the country for British journalist Luke Harding, the Moscow correspondent for daily newspaper The Guardian.

Russia’s foreign ministry issued a short statement yesterday saying that Harding had violated “a whole series” of the terms of his accreditation as a journalist. The ministry pointed to Harding’s failure to pick up a new press card from the ministry before leaving Russia last November and said he could return if he “resolved questions linked to his accreditation.”

Authorities in Moscow detained Harding for 45 minutes in an airport jail cell on Saturday when he tried to enter Russia following a flight from London. They later annulled Harding’s visa before putting him on the first plane back to the UK.

Harding – who had been in London for two months reporting on US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks – was given his passport back only after he took his seat on the plane. Russian officials gave Harding no explanation for the decision at the time, but an airport security official working for the Federal Border Service, an arm of the FSB intelligence agency, reportedly told him: “For you Russia is closed.”

Russian news agencies quoted an unnamed law enforcement official as saying Harding’s name had been placed on a list of foreigners whose presence in the country was “undesirable”. The expulsion followed a number of incidents of alleged harassment and official disapproval of Harding’s coverage, including his brief detention in April 2010 in the insurgency plagued North Caucasus region of Ingushetia.
The Guardian released a statement saying it was “baffled” by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s explanation and that the paper had “still not received an adequate explanation” for the decision.

“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,” the paper 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. We did not make this public at the time but it discredits attempts to portray this week’s expulsion as an administrative error.”

George Brock, chair of IPI’s UK National Committee, said: “We don’t need reminding that the current Russian government is not friendly to independent reporting, but it is nevertheless a depressing reminder when a journalist is refused permission to report from such an important country.”

His predecessor, Guardian columnist Peter Preston, who is also a former chair of IPI and a former editor of the newspaper, said: “Luke is the most careful and balanced reporter, who has done exceptional work in Russia. It’s an absolute tragedy for him and for Russia to see him treated in this fashion.”