American Journalist Expelled From Russia

David Satter of Radio Free Europe

NEW YORK — Russia has declared Radio Free Europe journalist David Satter persona non grata, making him the first American reporter to be banned from the country since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

A veteran Moscow correspondent who has written several books on Russia and lived and travelled there extensively since 1969, told BuzzFeed Monday that a Russian consular official said that "the competent organs" had decided his presence was "undesirable" and denied him entry on Dec. 26 last year. When the U.S. Embassy in Moscow filed a note of protest, the Russian foreign ministry denied to discuss the details of his expulsion, citing Russian law, Satter said.

A Russian foreign ministry representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.