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‘Democratic vote’ allows UK journalist to stay at Lavrov presser ‘Democratic vote’ allows UK journalist to stay at Lavrov presser
(about 13 hours later)
The Sky News employee had crashed the Russian foreign minister’s event at the G20 summit in Rio de JaneiroThe Sky News employee had crashed the Russian foreign minister’s event at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro
A Sky News journalist had snuck uninvited into Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s press conference at the G20 summit in Brazil. Once discovered, she was allowed to stay by a unanimous vote of the accredited reporters present. A Sky News journalist who slipped uninvited into Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s press conference at the G20 summit in Brazil was allowed to remain after a “democratic vote” by accredited reporters.
Moscow’s top diplomat usually has the Russian press pool attend the conferences, along with reporters from host countries. Western journalists stopped getting invitations after their governments banned, sanctioned and denied accreditation to RT and other Russian outlets, however. The incident occurred on Wednesday and has been revealed by the ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Speaking to Russian media on Wednesday about the incident Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova revealed that the unnamed “spy” was handled with professional courtesy. The press conference, typically attended by the Russian press pool and reporters from the host country, rarely includes Western journalists due to reciprocal restrictions on Russian media. Lavrov’s team discovered the British journalist sitting in the back row with a BRICS-branded microphone.
“Colleagues, please vote. A Sky News journalist wants to take part in our press conference. We all know how Russian journalists are treated in the West. It’s up to you to decide whether to let her into Sergei Viktorovich’s press conference or not,” Zakharova told reporters. “There was absolute silence in the hall for a few seconds. And then everyone raised their hands – unanimous in favor of the lady staying. She blushed noticeably.” Zakharova addressed the situation openly. “Colleagues, please vote. A Sky News journalist wants to take part in our press conference. We all know how Russian journalists are treated in the West. It’s up to you to decide whether to let her stay,” she said in comments reported by Russian media.
“When you suddenly see real democracy, you blush,” RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan commented on her Telegram channel. After a brief pause, the entire room of reporters raised their hands in favor of allowing the Sky News employee to remain. “She blushed noticeably,” Zakharova remarked.
The British stowaway had taken a seat in the back row, holding a microphone with the BRICS logo, according to a reporter for the Russian outlet KP. Once she was identified as an outsider, the woman approached Zakharova and introduced herself properly. The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman then called for the vote, speaking English so the “guest” would understand as well. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT, later quipped on Telegram, “When you suddenly see real democracy, you blush.”
While the Sky News employee did not ask a question during the event, she rushed towards Lavrov at the end, with a question about the Ukrainian strike on Russia using the US-supplied ATACMS missiles, according to KP. While the unnamed journalist did not ask a question during the hour-long press conference, she rushed toward Lavrov as the event concluded, asking about Ukrainian strikes using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
The Russian diplomat had answered that very question earlier in the hour-long press conference, and apparently did not feel like repeating it for Sky News. His security politely but firmly blocked the Sky News journalist as Lavrov left the building, according to journalists who were present.
The EU and Canada banned RT and most other Russian outlets in March 2022, citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The US government eventually got around its constitutional ban on censorship by accusing RT of acting on behalf of “Russian intelligence” in September. According to Russian media, the minister had already addressed the topic earlier and did not respond, with security politely intervening as Lavrov exited.
The EU and Canada banned RT and other Russian outlets in March 2022, citing the Ukraine conflict, while the US government later restricted RT, labeling it a proxy for “Russian intelligence.”
Zakharova alluded to these restrictions, highlighting the irony of welcoming a Western journalist despite the exclusion of Russian media in the West.
Western reporters have been excluded from Lavrov’s events since reciprocal sanctions began. However, Zakharova noted that the Sky News journalist was treated with “professional courtesy” once she identified herself and asked for permission to stay.