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Russia has sanctioned multiple Byline Times journalists and contributors, following our award-winning exposes of Putin’s crimes in Ukraine.
The Russian foreign ministry on Wednesday announced that six contributors to Byline Times and Byline TV have been added to its “stop list”, banning them from ever entering the country.
The ministry said the inclusion of Byline’s journalists was in retaliation for what it says were our “efforts to demonise our country [and] actively fabricate anti-Russia narratives to diminish Moscow’s international influence”.
Those included on the list were Byline Podcast editor and presenter Adrian Goldberg, former Byline TV editor Caolan Robertson and longstanding Byline contributors John Sweeney, Paul Conroy and Zarina Zabrisky, who they accuse of “collaborating” with Byline.
Sweeney, Conroy and Zabrisky fronted Byline TV’s award-winning investigative documentary film Under Deadly Skies, which exposed Russia’s war crimes against the Ukrainian people on the Eastern front.
The film uncovered evidence of Russia’s use of white phosphorous and the torture of Ukrainians in Kherson.
Zabrisky’s Byline Times investigation into Russia’s use of ‘human safari’ drone attacks on Ukrainian citizens also led to an investigation by the United Nations’ Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which confirmed our reporting that the Russian military had committed crimes against humanity
Under Deadly Skies was followed by another award-winning documentary on Russia’s illegal actions in Ukraine, The Battle for Kyiv, which was also produced by Byline TV, and fronted by investigative journalist Oz Katerji.
The targeting of our journalists also follows a series of Byline Times’ investigations into Russian interference in British politics. These include John Sweeney’s exposes of security service concerns about relations between former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Evgeny Lebedev, the son of former KGB spy Alexander Lebedev.
The sanctioned Byline journalists are among 21 British citizens added to Russia’s “stop list” which also includes other British media figures like Guardian journalist Rafael Behr and Daily Telegraph reporter David Blair as well as a series of other experts and commentators.
In its statement the Russian foreign ministry says the list is in response to “London’s continued confrontational course” against the country, “including its efforts to demonise our country, actively fabricate anti-Russia narratives to diminish Moscow’s international influence, and its ongoing supply of weapons to the neo-Nazi Kiev regime”.
“The actions of these British propagandists are irresponsible” they state.
Byline Times Executive Editor Peter Jukes said the inclusion of so many Byline journalists and contributors on the list was a sign of the impact of our reporting on Russia.
“Byline Times is delighted to be recognised by the Kremlin for its fearless reporting of Russian war crimes. Whatever these ‘stop orders’ are supposed to mean, they won’t stop our reporting”, he said.