Barack Obama and Jimmy Kimmel among hundreds banned from Russia over U.S. sanctions: report

19 May 2023

Russian officials released an announcement Friday containing "a list of 500 Americans" who are "officially banned" from the the country, Mediaite reports.

Per The Hill, the announcement comes "in response to the U.S. sanctions over the Ukraine war."

According to a translation of the release, those banned have been "involved in the spread of Russophobic attitudes and false information, as well as the heads of military-industrial complex companies that supply weapons to the regime in Kyiv," and the announcement also "declared U.S. officials who engaged in the 'persecution of dissidents' for their participation in the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol were also included."

Mediaite reports the list includes MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow and Joe Scarborough — and former MSNBC host Brian Williams; CNN host Erin Burnett; late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and even political leaders like U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), New York Attorney General Letitia James and former President Barack Obama.

No Fox News hosts were included on the list.

Aside from the names and explanation provided, The Hill reports the release also notes the country refuses to adhere to the "latest U.S. request for officials to have a consular visit with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in response to the U.S. not issuing visas to Russian journalists who wished to join Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov on his visit to the United Nations in New York."

Gershkovich has been detained in Moscow since March 29 and was charged with espionage last month.

The New York Times, President Joe Biden, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and more have called for the journalist's immediate release.

Mediaite's full report is available at this link. The Hill's report is here.

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