By The Moscow Times | Created at 2025-03-12 16:05:21 | Updated at 2025-03-12 20:44:38
4 hours ago
Russia’s state-run news agency RIA Novosti said Wednesday that its Athens bureau would shut down after the Greek authorities refused to renew the press accreditation for its chief correspondent.
According to the news agency, Greece’s Foreign Ministry declined to renew bureau chief Gennady Melnik’s 2025 accreditation without explanation. Melnik’s 2024 accreditation was renewed with delays, RIA Novosti said.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to The Moscow Times’ request for comment.
RIA Novosti established its Athens bureau ahead of the 2004 Summer Olympics. The agency is among several Russian state media outlets sanctioned by the EU for spreading “propaganda” related to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The news agency claimed that the Greek authorities have restricted its journalists from covering certain events over the past three years.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Greece in May 2022 terminated the operations of the Sputnik news agency, which is part of the state-funded media group Rossiya Segodnya, alongside RIA Novosti and the broadcaster RT.
Rossiya Segodnya called the decision a “gross violation of free speech.”
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
