Russia's Federal Security Service has blocked several foreign high school students from participating in a nationwide academic cryptography competition, the Kommersant business daily reported Tuesday.
The five students, who study at Russian high schools but hold foreign citizenship, were denied entry to the FSB Academy building in southwest Moscow on Sunday to compete in a cryptography Olympiad, the report said.
“The guards took my Belarussian passport and told me I had to wait until they resolved the issue of my participation,” one of the affected students, Yevgeny Koilyak, was cited as saying by Kommersant, adding that the students were told to wait outside in the cold.
After a 1.5-hour wait, they were then told by FSB officials that only Russian citizens were allowed to compete in the Olympiad because of the FSB Academy's special status, the report said.
Russia's Education and Science Ministry told Kommersant that there is no rule against the participation of students with foreign citizenship in the competition and promised to look into the incident, the report said.
The Olympiad on mathematics and cryptography gives winning students 100 extra points in the Unified State Exam in maths.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.