Russian authorities detained and then deported the chairman of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors from the Moscow airport in retaliation for American sanctions against Kremlin officials.
Chairman Jeff Shell said that Russian security officials told him he would be subject to "a life-time ban" on entering the country, according to a statement from the agency.
The Tuesday night incident occurred two days before Secretary of State John Kerry was set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday to discuss a U.S. proposal that would enhance military coordination and counterterrorism efforts in Syria.
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not initially provide an explanation to Shell or the BBG for his detention, but later said he was on a secret list of individuals created by Moscow to retaliate against U.S. sanctions imposed on "Russian politicians, businessmen, and media figures" over Putin’s actions in Ukraine, the Washington Post reported.
The BBG said in a statement Wednesday that Shell was denied entry into Russia despite holding a valid passport and Russian visa and was later "detained in a locked room for several hours, before being accompanied by Russian security officials to board a flight to Amsterdam."
Shell is a presidential appointee to the board, which oversees government media outlets, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe. He is also the vice chairman of NBCUniversal.
Elizabeth Trudeau, director of press operations at the State Department, told the Washington Post that the department was aware of the situation and the U.S. embassy in Moscow "assisted on the ground" during the incident Tuesday night.
"Our embassy has spoken with the Russian government and is seeking further clarification on this issue," Trudeau said.
The Kremlin has accused U.S. government journalists of disseminating anti-Russian propaganda, the Post noted.