German journalist refused World Cup accreditation
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 12 May 2018
Join our WhatsApp channel
Germany's ARD Television journalist Hajo Seppelt has been barred from covering the World Cup in Russia due to his doping investigations. This refusal is unprecedented in ARD's sports journalism history.Summary
Russia has refused football World Cup accreditation to a journalist specializing in investigations into illegal doping whom German public television had asked to include on its team covering the upcoming tournament.
Germany's ARDTelevision had hoped to send its investigative sports reporter Hajo Seppelt after Russian sport was rocked by a series of scandals involving its athletes using performance enhancing drugs at international sports events.
The broadcaster said Seppelt had been declared persona non grata, barred from entering Russia, in response to its request to accredit the journalist, who has reported on doping scandals in Germany, China and Kenya as well as Russia.
The refusal of accreditation to report on a major sports event was "unique in the history of ARD's sports journalism," the broadcaster said, describing the refusal as an "unheard-of violation of press freedom".
The Organizing Committee for the World Cup in Russia and Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The Russia-hosted World Cup begins next month after a series of doping scandals in recent years that led to scores of Russian athletes being barred from competition at major international events and the suspension of several Russian sports federations.
The press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders condemned the refusal of accreditation, which it labeled a political response to Seppelt's investigation into Russian doping.
"The case shows that sport and politics cannot be separated," said Reporters Without Borders Director Christian Mihr, urging FIFA, soccer's world governing body to lobby for the ban to be overturned.
The International Olympic Committee issued a ban, later overturned, on Russian participation in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics after finding evidence of an "unprecedented systematic manipulation" of the anti-doping system.
Russia was reinstated after tests of the country's athletes at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics were all returned negative. - Reuters
Key Points
- Hajo Seppelt denied World Cup accreditation by Russian authorities.
- ARD Television cited unprecedented violation of press freedom.
- Seppelt investigates doping scandals in multiple countries including Russia.
- Refusal seen as politically motivated by Reporters Without Borders.
- World Cup in Russia starts next month amidst previous doping issues.
Relevant Topics
Ask AI: Understand this story your way
AI EnabledDig deeper, ask anything — get instant context, background, and clarity.
Disclaimer: This feature is powered by AI and is intended to help readers explore and understand news stories more easily. While we strive for accuracy, AI-generated responses may occasionally be incomplete or reflect limitations in the underlying model. This feature does not represent the editorial views of JournalismPakistan. For our full, verified reporting, please refer to the original article.
