The chief of the studio behind the "Jason Bourne" movie thrillers, Universal Filmed Entertainment Chairman Jeff Shell, unwittingly stepped into a real-life episode of international intrigue and high-stakes political drama.
Russian authorities in Moscow blocked Shell from entering the country Tuesday night, thrusting the longtime TV and film executive into an uncomfortable position of being detained in an airport interrogation room at a time when U.S. and Russian relations have become increasingly fragile and testy.
"Shell was denied entry into the country despite having a valid passport and Russian visa, and subsequently detained in a locked room for several hours, before being accompanied by Russian security officials to board a flight to Amsterdam," the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors said Wednesday in a statement.
"No explanation has yet been given to Shell, or the BBG, for his detention," according to the BBG, which oversees the U.S.-funded radio outlets Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, which are said to be unpopular among Russian leaders.
Shell, a Los Angeles native and longtime Comcast Corp. executive, currently serves as chairman of the broadcasting organization. He told colleagues that he was on a business trip as parent company NBCUniversal has interests in Russia.
Before taking over the Universal movie studio nearly three years ago, Shell served as head of NBCUniversal's international operations and was based in London.
He did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday, but earlier in the day told the New York Times that he was going through the immigration review process at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport when he was yanked out of line by authorities and escorted into an interview room.
"I was then taken to a small room and left alone for about a half-hour before someone came back with a document in Russian that they wanted me to sign," Shell told the newspaper in a telephone interview.
He said he refused to sign the document, and that a translation was provided to him and also he refused to sign that. He said he then was hustled to a second room and was left locked inside for about three hours. Eventually, he said, Russian authorities escorted him to a flight bound for Amsterdam, giving his passport to the pilots of the jet.
"Shell told colleagues with whom he was traveling that airport security authorities told him the denial of entry into Russia has permanent status and is "a life-time ban" the BBG said in its statement.
