Two journalists filming a documentary about the Serbian Church deported from Kosovo

September 16, Kosovo’s police deported to Serbia two journalists – Ukrainian and Russian, reports Radio Liberty.

“The head of the News Front Serbian editorial office, citizen of Russia Oxana Sazonova, as well as freelance cameraman Sergey Belous, were detained by Kosovo’s police while filming footage about Orthodox churches located in its territory, as well as about how the Albanians and the Serbs live side by side in the region. The journalists planned to film a documentary about Kosovo,” the news agency’s director Konstantin Knyrik said.

Both journalists are working for Russian media in Belgrade.

“The journalists were accused of violating the rules for staying in Kosovo. Their video equipment has been confiscated, and they are not being allowed to get in touch with their family and Russia’s diplomatic mission in Serbia,” he said.
Sazonova and Belous were detained in the village of Velika Hoca and were then taken to Pristin and placed in a center for foreigners before deciding on deportation. They were also ordered to pay a fine of 200 euros and banned from entering Kosovo for 5 years.

Pristina has introduced a visa regime with Russia and other countries that do not recognize the secession of Kosovo from Serbia.

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