The leading daily Ilta-Sanomat says that its long-time correspondent in Russia has been barred from entering or working in the country.
Arja Paananen has been accredited as a journalist in the country since 1990 and lived there for more than 11 years, winning several awards for her coverage of Russia.
A renewal of her accreditation has been delayed since September, after being routinely renewed annually for more than three decades.
"Paananen cannot continue her work in Russia, because the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not agreed to grant her the accreditation and correspondent visa that entitles her to work," the paper said on Thursday. "In late January, it was made clear to Paananen that a work permit and visa are not forthcoming."
Several other Finnish journalists have recently had their work permits extended in Russia. However, since Russia's attack on Ukraine nearly a year ago, the Kremlin has restricted work permits for journalists from countries considered "unfriendly". As a result, Finnish journalists living in Russia can currently only get accreditation and work visas for three months at a time.
According to Ilta-Sanomat's editor-in-chief, Johanna Lahti, "Russia's actions are clearly intentional: it does not want Paananen to report on what is happening in the country. By preventing Paananen's entry into the country, Russia is practically underlining how exceptionally good a journalist and troublesome critic of Vladimir Putin's Russia she is perceived to be in Russia."
RSF condemns ban
The international press organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also commented on the case on Thursday.
"Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat's lead Russia correspondent Arja Paananen cannot enter the country as her press visa application has been pending for over 5 months. RSF condemns this measure, which aims to silence a journalist whose work [is] inconvenient to the government," RSF said in a tweet.
Last summer, Maria Zakharova, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Department, accused Paananen of "groundless anti-Russian propaganda" that "distorts the essence of Russian President V.V. Putin's statements".
Paananen has been honoured with journalism awards from Sweden's Bonnier Group, Suomen Kuvalehti magazine and from Ilta-Sanomat itself.
Ilta-Sanomat and rival tabloid Iltalehti boast the highest daily readership of any Finnish newspapers. Ilta-Sanomat is published by the Sanoma conglomerate, which also issues the leading broadsheet, Helsingin Sanomat, and many other publications.
