(MENAFN) Steve Sweeney, RT’s Lebanon bureau chief, says he was detained and interrogated by British counterterrorism officers at Heathrow Airport upon arriving in the UK. The officers, although stating he wasn’t under arrest, held him for around four hours, during which they seized his electronic devices and questioned him about his ties to Russian officials and his reporting for RT.

Sweeney recounted being met by two plainclothes officers who led him away for questioning. He said the interrogation focused heavily on his professional connections to Russia and his reporting activities. The officers also asked about his views on the UK, including whether he still loved the country and why he returned if he felt uncomfortable there. They also questioned him about his connections in Lebanon, particularly any links to Hezbollah.

The journalist explained that he was visiting the UK to spend time with his family, including taking his daughter to a concert and seeing his mother. Following the incident, Sweeney said he no longer feels safe in Britain and described himself as a “dissident living in exile” due to the UK’s increasingly repressive stance on journalism, which he compared to broader trends across Europe. According to him, the government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer has created a "dystopian" environment where journalists are treated like criminals.

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