Russian reporter says Germany confiscated passports of his wife, daughter

(MENAFN) Moscow has criticized Berlin over the alleged treatment of Sergey Feoktistov, the head of the Rossiya Segodnya news agency’s bureau in Berlin, after he claimed that German authorities confiscated the passports of his wife and young daughter.

Rossiya Segodnya, a state-owned Russian media outlet, was sanctioned by the EU in 2023 over accusations of spreading “disinformation” about the Ukraine conflict.

Earlier this month, German officials refused to extend Feoktistov’s residency permit and ordered him to leave the country by August 19 or face deportation. Feoktistov said he attempted to return to Berlin on Friday to help his family relocate, but was denied entry.

He told RIA Novosti that German police visited his former residence—where his wife and seven-year-old daughter still live—and took their passports, claiming they might try to hide to avoid deportation.

In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Germany’s actions, accusing it of persecuting journalists to silence dissenting perspectives. Dmitry Kiselyov, head of Rossiya Segodnya, echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Germany is preparing its public for conflict with Russia.

Since 2022, the EU has banned several Russian media outlets, such as RT and Sputnik, and sanctioned associated personnel. Moscow has retaliated by imposing sanctions on Western journalists and restricting access to outlets like Germany’s Deutsche Welle.

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