Russia Expels ORF Correspondent Maria Knips-Witting

PeopleOther ♦ Published: June 11, 2024; 23:42 ♦ (Vindobona)

In a surprising diplomatic escalation, Russia has withdrawn the accreditation of ORF correspondent Maria Knips-Witting and ordered her to leave the country as quickly as possible. This measure was described by the Russian side as a “forced measure” and explained as a reaction to the withdrawal of the accreditations of two Russian journalists from the state news agency TASS in Austria. Knips-Witting has been reporting from Moscow since January 2024.

The ORF has lost its Russia correspondent, Maria Knips-Witting, after Russian authorities revoked her accreditation and ordered her to leave the country promptly. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Thomas Ledl/ CC BY-SA 3.0 AT (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at/deed.en)

ORF expressed regret about the decision and promised to take all necessary steps to ensure continued independent reporting from Russia. The ORF Editorial Board also protested strongly against the expulsion and described the move as a “direct attack on media freedom”.

Background and reactions

The now expelled Ivan Popov, who previously reported from…