Russia has expelled Politico Europe correspondent and former Moscow Times editor-in-chief Eva Hartog, Politico Europe reported Wednesday.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry had reportedly informed Hartog last Monday that her visa would not be extended and gave her six days to leave Russia.
Moscow provided no information as to the reason for Hartog’s expulsion, saying only that the decision to reject her visa renewal and transfer her press accreditation to Politico was made by the “relevant authorities.”
“Thankfully, Eva is safe and was able to leave Russia,” Politico Europe’s editor-in-chief Jamil Anderlini said without disclosing Hartog’s final destination.
Hartog is the first foreign journalist to be kicked out of Russia since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, according to Politico Europe.
In 2021, Russia expelled BBC reporter Sarah Rainsford in retaliation for what it called London’s discrimination against Russian media in Britain. The Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant’s correspondent Tom Vennik was expelled months later over administrative violations.
Hartog started her career as a Moscow Times web editor in 2013 and was promoted to editor-in-chief in 2017. She later reported for the Dutch weekly De Groene Amsterdammer before transferring to Politico Europe.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry this summer vowed a “response toward both EU journalists and Brussels functionaries” following the latest round of EU sanctions targeting Russia’s state broadcaster and pro-war bloggers.
“We hope that Eva and Politico will return to Moscow in the near future to continue our factual and nonpartisan coverage of Russian politics,” chief editor Anderlini said.
Hartog declined The Moscow Times’ request for comment.