London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Expulsions lead BBC to fear for reporters in authoritarian regimes

Expulsions lead BBC to fear for reporters in authoritarian regimes

Broadcaster says relations with China and Russia are fraught as its correspondent Sarah Rainsford is forced out of Moscow

BBC news executives vowed on Saturday night to continue to report from Russia and China despite growing fears that both countries are becoming increasingly difficult to cover.

After a surprise Russian move last week that will force correspondent Sarah Rainsford permanently out of Moscow at the end of the month, a senior figure in BBC news said that Russia’s decision not to renew her visa marks a new low in relations. “Efforts are being made to keep communications open but the feeling is that Sarah is sadly right when she says she doesn’t see Russia changing its mind,” he said.

Russian state media claims the decision not to renew Rainsford’s visa is a retaliatory step in response to British refusal to grant visas to some Russian journalists. But the names and outlets of those allegedly refused visas have not been made public.

In March the BBC’s former Beijing correspondent John Sudworth left China to report from Taiwan after pressure and threats from the Chinese authorities. Sudworth, who had won awards for his reporting on the treatment of the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang region, had also reported on the growing pressures of working under the Chinese regime.

This weekend the BBC news executive said that as recently as five years ago “it was almost unimaginable we would lose staff in either Russia or China”, describing it as “a kind of nuclear option” that draws them closer to established no-go areas such as Iran and North Korea, where reporting is banned. “In the past, they have been very reluctant to deport correspondents. It is such a bad look. So this shows how bad things are getting. We haven’t had anyone actually removed from China, although Sudworth did move his family to Taiwan for the last part of his posting.”

The Russian decision to eject Rainsford shows that an institution as “big and robust as the BBC” is now a target of censorship, where once it was protected by the threat of serious reputational damage to a country that limited the reach of its reporting. The development also reveals, the news executive said, how difficult other smaller news organisations must find effective coverage.

John Sudworth, the BBC’s former Beijing correspondent, left for Taiwan in March after pressure and threats from the Chinese authorities.


Rainsford’s expulsion marks a shift in pressure from Russian-language outlets such as Meduza and Proekt to Moscow’s foreign press corps. It also sends a direct warning to the BBC, which has greatly expanded its Russian-language journalism in the past five years and has taken on some of the country’s best local reporting talent.

That expansion has produced tough reporting which has angered the Russian government. Last week, BBC News Russian and BBC News Arabic published an investigation that revealed the size and scope of a Russian mercenary operation in Libya, using information from a Samsung tablet discovered on the battlefield. Reporters have privately voiced concerns that, as a refuge for journalists who have fled local news outlets under state pressure, BBC News Russian – or they personally – could also be targeted by the government.

Speaking on Saturday, Rainsford said: “I’ve really loved trying to tell the story of Russia to the world but it is increasingly a difficult story to tell. I have to say, though, I wasn’t expecting this to happen. There were clear signs for Russian media: there have been really serious problems recently, for Russian independent journalists, but until now, for the foreign press, we’d somehow been shielded from all of that.”The BBC still has about 100 employees working in Moscow, including BBC Monitoring service staff, and it sees no immediate threat to this situation.

The BBC executive said the Russians have previously cited the British failure to accredit reporters working for the state news agency Tass and sanctions against Russian diplomats as a cause for complaint.

“What they are saying is not untrue, but we certainly disagree with the comparison with Tass. The BBC does not belong to the British government, it belongs to British people.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×