Russia has banned the entry of Cypriot officials into the country

The Russian Federation has announced that it is prohibiting the entry of several Cypriot officials into its territory. The reason for the sanctions was the deportation of a Russian citizen from the island in October of last year and "unacceptable actions" towards an employee of the Russian embassy.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on January 18 informed the Ambassador of Cyprus in Moscow about reciprocal measures in connection with the unacceptable actions of the Cypriot authorities (in October 2023) towards the accredited correspondent of 'Rossiyskaya Gazeta' A.G. Gasyuk and the employee of the Russian embassy D.V. Doinikov," said the statement from the Russian diplomatic ministry.

According to the notification, "officials of the Republic of Cyprus directly involved in the provocation are prohibited from entering our country."

Referring to diplomatic sources, the state television channel CyBC stated that the Russian ban apparently concerns three officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Recall that the correspondent of 'Rossiyskaya Gazeta,' Alexander Gasyuk, was detained on October 5 at 11:45 in Nicosia. At the time of his arrest, he was in a car near the house where he lived with his family. According to available information, force was used against the journalist during the arrest.

Subsequently, the employee of the state newspaper was deported from Cyprus. His family also left the island shortly thereafter.

Alexander Gasyuk reported in an interview with the TASS news agency that the Cypriot police beat him, stating that his residence permit was canceled because he allegedly posed a security threat.

At the same time, Cypriot authorities deny the mistreatment of the Russian journalist. The country's president has refused to comment on his detention.