Bulgaria Expels Russian Propagandist and Bans Him from Entering EU

Bulgaria has expelled Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper's correspondent Alexander Gatsak from the country and banned him from entering the EU.

"In view of the activities that pose a threat to Bulgaria's national security, by order of the head of SANS, compulsory administrative measures in the form of revocation of residence permit, expulsion and a ban on entry and residence in the territory of the EU member states were applied to Russian citizen Alexander Gatsak, a correspondent of Rossiyskaya Gazeta accredited in Bulgaria," reports Nova.bg with reference to the State Agency for National Security (SANS).

On 29 September, Gatsak was summoned to the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and later to SANS, but he refused to appear and "hid in the Russian Embassy". After the intervention of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, Gatsak left the territory of Bulgaria on 1 November.

SANS stressed that these actions were aimed at protecting national security and not at restricting freedom of speech and expression.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta is the official publication of the Russian government and the place where decrees and orders are published and come into force.

In early October, Bulgaria reported the exposure of a group that exported military goods to Russia.

In September, Vitaliy Denisov, the head of the Russian news outlet Sputnik Moldova, was expelled from Moldova.