Russia denies US consular access to arrested journalist

MOSCOW

Russia on Thursday rejected a US request for consular access to journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on spy charges in response to Washington's decision to reject visa applications of Russian journalists.

In a statement on its website, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it summoned a senior diplomat of the US Embassy in Moscow and handed him a note of protest over "provocative actions," which disrupted the visa processing for media representatives, who were supposed to accompany Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on his trip to the UN headquarters in New York.

"It was emphasized that such sabotage, aimed at preventing normal journalistic work, will not remain unanswered.

"In this regard, the US Embassy has been informed that its request for a consular visit on May 11 this year to the American citizen Evan Gershkovich, who was detained on charges of espionage, is rejected," the ministry stressed.

It noted that other possible measures are also being considered, and the US side will be informed about them later.