Natalia Morar, a journalist of The New Times and a citizen of Moldova wasn’t let into Russia on her way back from the business trip to Israel. On Sunday night she wasn’t let out of the “Domodedovo” airport, since, as she was explained, a special order had been received from the FSB. The officials didn’t show her the document, but said that the she was forbidden the country on the basis article 27 of the law “On the Procedure for Leaving the Russian Federation and Entering the Russian Federation”. First the border officials wanted to send Morar back to Israel, in spite of the fact that her visa had expired. After all she was sent to Chisinau.
Natalia Morar has been living, studying and working in Russia already during six years. In this year she finished the Moscow State University. Before she came in The New Times she had been working as a press-secretary of the Other Russia and before that collaborated with the foundation of Mikhail Khodorkovsky “Open Russia”.
On Sunday the journalist departed for Chisinau where her parents lived. She stated that her expulsion was connected with her professional activity. Especially she mentioned her recent article “The Black Till of the Kremlin”. The article said that during the parliamentarian campaign all parties had been in dependence under some black till, that is none of the parties could engage sponsors for the election campaign without Kremlin’s approve.
As far as Moral is a citizen of Moldova she will hardly return to Russia. According to the law numerous state agencies, that is FSB, MVD and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs can decide that the stay of that or another person being not a Russian Federation citizen is ‘undesirable’; and no explanation is required. The authorities of Moldova can sent to Russia an inquiry about the reasons of the expulsion of their citizen, but probably they won’t receive any answer at all.
According to the law “On the Procedure for Leaving the Russian Federation and Entering the Russian Federation” a foreign citizen is not let into the country in the case if it is necessary for the guarantee of the state defensive capacity or safety, or of the public order or of the defense of the population health. There is still one more wording: “if there is a decision concerning a foreign citizen or a person without citizenship about undesirability of his stay (living) in the Russian Federation”.
Meanwhile the scandal has already become international. The international federation of journalists appealed to the OSCE and the Council of Europe with application to investigate the situation and demand explanations from the Russian authorities.
The New Times is to appeal to the court. The FSB still gives no comments.
