After Maria Knips-Witting, the second ORF correspondent, Carola Schneider, also had her accreditation withdrawn. The Russian ambassador was summoned to the Austrian Foreign Office.
Russia is taking massive action against Western media – including the ORF. “The Russian authorities have today withdrawn the accreditation of the head of the ORF Moscow, Carola Schneider, and asked her to leave the country as soon as possible,” the public broadcaster announced on Wednesday. “The ORF acknowledges Russia’s decision, but cannot understand it at all. Today’s measure can only be interpreted as an arbitrary act against independent reporting.” The ORF is protesting against Russia’s actions and has announced that it will apply for new accreditations.
The Austrian Foreign Ministry calls the move “unprecedented”. “We condemn this unjustified and unacceptable step. This represents another arbitrary attack on the free press in Russia, which has no basis whatsoever,” it said in a statement. The Russian ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. The ministry is in close contact with the ORF.
Without Carola Schneider, no one from ORF in Moscow
Only yesterday it was announced that Russia is blocking access to more than 80 EU media outlets, including the ORF. At the beginning of June, correspondent Maria Knips-Witting had to leave the country – in a “mirror measure”, as the Moscow Foreign Ministry announced at the time. Previously, Russian correspondents from the state agency TASS, at least one of whom is suspected of espionage, had their accreditation withdrawn.
Carola Schneider, who heads the correspondent’s office, is currently still in Moscow. When she leaves, there will no longer be any ORF journalists in the war-torn country. Schneider has reported from Moscow “highly competently” for many years – with one interruption since 2011 – and has always complied with all laws, according to the ORF. Like Knips-Witting, she will now initially report on Russia “in the usual quality” from the foreign editorial office in Vienna.
Usually nothing concrete is accused
The non-renewal or withdrawal of accreditation for foreign correspondents by the Russian Foreign Ministry has become an increasingly common occurrence for journalists in Moscow for years. Unlike in the Soviet past, the correspondents concerned were not accused of anything specific and the measure was justified by decisions made by their countries of origin. (APA/ed.)
ORF Office Moscow
Carola Schneider headed the ORF office in Moscow from 2011 to 2021 and, after an educational leave, took over from Paul Krisai in 2023. He was in Russia with Miriam Beller, and both returned to Vienna in 2023. In return, the ORF sent Maria Knips-Witting in January this year to support the experienced ORF journalist Schneider.
