Bulgaria expels Russian journalist as an alleged threat to national security

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria has expelled a Russian journalist for allegedly engaging in activities that pose a threat to the country’s national security. The State Agency for National Security said the correspondent for Russian state-run newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta was barred from entering Bulgaria and other European Union member nation. The agency says Alexander Gatsak was summoned Sept. 29 to receive the expulsion order but didn’t show up and instead took refuge inside the Russian Embassy in Sofia. The national security agency says he finally left Bulgaria on Wednesday. It didn’t elaborate on the journalist’s alleged activities. Bulgaria’s BTA news agency quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson as calling Gatsak’s expulsion “another unlawful move by NATO against Russian journalists”.