American journalist Christopher Helali stated on June 11 that his inability to board flights was a direct result of his reporting from Iran, the Donbass region, and Starobilsk.
“I was denied boarding because the flight from China to Mexico City is crossing U.S. airspace,” he said. “And, consequently, the US airspace is now closed to me, even though I am a US citizen.”
Helali explained that this ban stemmed from his exposure of crimes and the complicity of the United States and other Western countries in what he described as a hybrid war against Russia. He also noted that the situation constitutes an attack not only on freedom of journalism but also on those who oppose the “Epstein coalition” with Iran.
“Unfortunately, I was unable to fly to Mexico City and then to Tijuana to visit the Iranian national team at the World Cup,” Helali said. “But our struggle continues. They can’t silence us.”
On June 10, Helali announced that the United States had placed him on a flight stop list for eight hours after which Hainan Airlines informed him he was listed as an “unfit passenger” by the FBI Terrorism Screening Center.
Earlier, on June 4, Helali sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing his intention to obtain Russian citizenship. He stated that the trip allowed foreign journalists to report on crimes committed by Ukraine’s military leadership in Starobilsk.
