Russia refused to extend his stay and gave journalist Xavier Colas of the Spanish newspaper El Mundo 24 hours to leave the country, in a decision criticized as an attack on press freedom, according to independent Russian newspaper The Moscow Times.

The journalist, who has been reporting from Moscow for 12 years, was told by Russian officials that he must leave the country and told that he would have “problems” if he did not leave Russia on time, El Mundo reports. The Russian authorities did not specify what “problems” the journalist might face.

Recently, he has faced numerous obstacles from the Russian authorities. In recent months, he was repeatedly visited at home by police officers, who asked him to “stop reports about the demonstrations of the wives of Russian soldiers.” These protests are one of the few forms of domestic opposition the Kremlin has faced since the start of the war in Ukraine.

“The refusal to extend a journalist’s visa is one of the useful tools” used by the Russian authorities to “undermine freedom of speech,” El Mundo charges. The Spanish newspaper noted that journalists reporting from Spain face “threats” and “pressure”.

Xavier Colas, who recently published a book in Spain about his years in Russia called Putinistan, said he has “no regrets at all” about how he spoke about his time in Russia.

“I just did my job: I said what was happening, talked to the people who are suffering because of it and explained to them who is responsible for what is happening,” he wrote.

Russian authorities have taken increasingly restrictive measures against Western journalists reporting from Russia since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, such as requiring them to renew their work visas every three months.

Several foreign reporters were forced by the authorities to leave Russia, while others complained of being intimidated.