Broadcaster ARD decided that it would be an "incalculable risk" based on a joint assessment from the Federal Criminal Police Office, Berlin State Criminal Office and Germany's intelligence service.  

The decision was made following a meeting between ARD representatives, with whom Seppelt had been due to work at Russia 2018, the 55-year-old himself and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

Seppelt, the journalist credited with first revealing widespread doping in Russian athletics, had been initially refused a visa to attend the month-long event.

A U-turn was then announced but, at the same time, the Russian Investigative Committee announced that Seppelt would be questioned as part of their inquiry into former Moscow Laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov, the main witness at the centre of the Russian doping scandal, on arrival in the country.

Seppelt is considered a public enemy in Russia due to his reporting and his presence was, therefore, considered too risk regardless of official sanctioning.

Seppelt did not play a close role in the shift of Rodchenkov from Moscow Laboratory director to whistleblower.

But he did publish a documentary containing revelations from husband and wife duo Yuliya Stepanova and Vitaly Stepanov which set in motion a chain of investigations in 2014 and 2015.

"What does that say about sports journalism when things have already come this far, and what does it say about what happens to people who live as journalists in Russia," Seppelt told Magazin Kontraste after making clear his intentions not to attend.

Reporters Without Borders claim that seven journalists are currently imprisoned in Russia due to their reporting and at least 34 have been killed in connection with their reporting since President Vladimir Putin first became President in 1999.