German public TV broadcaster ARD said that Russia "refused World Cup accreditation to a journalist specializing in investigations into illegal doping" whom the broadcaster had asked to include on its team covering the tournament, according to Thomas Escritt of REUTERS. ARD TV "hoped to send" investigative sports reporter Hajo Seppelt after Russian sport was "rocked by a series of scandals involving its athletes using performance enhancing drugs" at int'l sports events. The broadcaster said that Seppelt was "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 World Cup organizing committee and Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment (REUTERS, 5/11).
