International, Media, Society

“Undesirable Person”: Russians Bar Entry Of German Journalist Who Helped Uncover Their Doping Program

225px-Vladimir_Putin_official_portraitWe have previously discussed the questionable assurances of reforms from the Russian government after its government-led, systemic doping scandal.  The greatest proof came this week when the Russians barred German Journalist Hajo Seppelt, the man who broke the Russian state doping story, from entry to the World Cup in Russia.  If the Russians were so shocked and repentant, they should welcome Seppelt as a hero. Instead, they declared him an “undesirable person” for revealing their systemic cheating.  Of course, the FIFA (which has distinguished itself as one of the most thoroughly corrupt organizations) has taken no real action.

The visa application was submitted by German public broadcaster SWR on behalf of Seppelt.  FIFA validated Seppelt’s accreditation request.

It was FIFA that decided to hold the World Cup in Russia after the most extensive sports cheating program ever uncovered.  It can hardly express shock that the Russians are punishing a journalist who exposed their dishonesty.

 

41 thoughts on ““Undesirable Person”: Russians Bar Entry Of German Journalist Who Helped Uncover Their Doping Program”

  1. Anyone who’s not yet extremely concerned about the influence on Trump of his new National Security Adviser will most likely become so in the very near future.

    “As Donald Trump was holding his 11-minute tirade against the Iran deal on Tuesday, a man was standing silently in the doorway of the Diplomatic Reception Room. John Bolton looked serious but satisfied. But it didn’t take long for the mask to come off. ‘We’re out of the deal,’ he crowed a quarter-hour later to a room full of journalists in the White House. And he then repeated the sentence a second and then a third time: ‘We’re out of the deal.’ He seemed liberated, almost euphoric. A furious warrior had achieved his target.

    “There is hardly a crisis in the world that John Bolton does not feel can be solved with war. The solution to Saddam Hussein-controlled Iraq? Bombing. Iran under Hassan Rouhani? Bombing as necessary. Libya? Syria? North Korea? Apply pressure, regime change, bombing. For Bolton, war is a more effective extension of politics. If there is one thing you can’t accuse him of, it’s inconsistency.”

    http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/trump-humiliates-europe-with-exit-from-iran-deal-a-1207237.html

  2. Yes, Putin is evil. This is wrong. Still, I can’t help wondering why a very serious, life threatening treatment by the US/UK/minions of a journalist isn’t mentioned in this blog. I am therefore going to mention it:

    “Julian Assange is in immense danger. Remarks made this week by Ecuador’s foreign minister suggest that her government may be preparing to renege on the political asylum it granted to the WikiLeaks editor in 2012 and hand him over to British and then American authorities.

    On March 28, under immense pressure from the governments in the US, Britain and other powers, Ecuador imposed a complete ban on Assange having any Internet or phone contact with the outside world, and blocked his friends and supporters from physically visiting him. For 45 days, he has not been heard from.”

    https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/05/12/assa-m12.html

      1. What no NZ indies to reveal the truth. I am sure Pam & Kanye are on top of it; too bad Roseanne is busy.

  3. CV Brown – I don’t even check anymore. 😉 Isn’t worth the aggravation.

  4. CV Brown – I originally saw it as giving Trump the finger, but rethinking it, since The Donald is on the finger, he is the one giving the finger. 😉

  5. CV Brown – I did the bike thing. Did the picking gravel out of my skin for a couple of weeks thing. Did not do the quarry thing. 😉

  6. Germans can’t believe that other countries have the gall to enforce their own borders.

    1. Riesling I just saw the cover of Der Spiegel giving Trump the finger — seriously? The Germans are gonna stand up and continue trade with Iran despite being occupied? =) I hope they do but I suspect this is theatre.

      1. @Autumn – I interpreted the cover picture to mean that Trump was giving Europe the finger…..in any case, Trump is the best thing that ever happened to Merkel….she can blame all of her problems on him and thus stay in power, which is all she cares about anyway.

        1. Blaming all their problems on other people in order to stay in power…not as if we haven’t heard that from a German leader before.

          1. Darren, or any other leader who wants to redirect from their own issues – tried, true and timeless tactic. Trouble is that the Internet is blowing up that strategy.

        2. hmm – that’s interesting – I saw it as the middle finger being directed TO the Donald =) Maybe it was meant to be ambiguous? I agree with you re Mama Merkel.

      2. Der Spiegel will have egg on its face when their friends in the Iranian government become a liability. Fried egg that is.

        1. ha. Good one Darren Spiegelei! Had one this morning on my Baurenbrot =)

  7. Mr. Seppelt should frame the rejection notice and hang it on his office wall as a badge of Honor.

  8. “Insanity is repeating the same behavior expecting a different result.”

    1. David Benson – give me my citation and you won’t see the same behavior.

      1. David Benson – I am using a behavioral mod program on you. David Benson owes me a citation from the OED. All you have to do is give me the citation or admit you made it up. Your choice.

            1. YNOT David Benson owes me a citation from the OED. If you have anything constructive to add, please do. Attacking me, as usual, is not constructive.

  9. David Benson – who do you think you are? Michael Mann? Hiding evidence? Naughty, naughty, Tsk, tsk.

      1. David Benson – you would know where the deep end was if anyone did. Still, I am an excellent swimmer and always loved swimming in the deep end.

  10. The Russians or Soviets have never been known to honor those that expose them.

    2. Paul, no government likes those who expose them – look at Assange – “can’t we drone him”? =)

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