A British-born journalist who works for Russia Today has been deported from Latvia to Russia for “social provocation”.

According to Guntars Markitans, the head of Riga’s police department, journalist

Graham Phillips was detained at an event to mark the Remembrance Day of Latvian legionnaires at the Freedom Monument in the country’s capital, Riga.

Markitans told the Latvian LETA news agency that Phillips, a stringer for Kremlin-operated Russia Today, was trying to provoke those laying flowers at the base of the monument during the ceremony on Wednesday.

In a number of tweets following the incident, Phillips said that he “was given two options by Latvia, deported to the UK by flight, they take my car, or I drive, with escort, to Russia”.

He added that he decided to go to Russia, a country which he describes as “a country with freedom of speech, and rights for journalists!” (rg/pk)

Source: Baltic News