Russian Journalist Not Allowed Into Lithuania

VILNIUS -- The editor in chief of Russia's Regnum Information Agency, Modest Kolerov, has been prevented from entering Lithuania by train despite having a valid Shengen visa in his passport, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.

Kolerov was on his way to the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, to take part in an international conference on Russian-Lithuanian relations.

Lithuanian border guards asked Kolerov to step off the Moscow-Vilnius train and told him that Lithuania's migration authorities consider him an undesirable alien.

Kolerov said he still intends to take part in the conference via mobile phone and the Internet.

He accused media in Lithuania of mischaracterizing him as an adversary of Lithuania.