MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova sent on Friday a letter to Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic calling on her to analyze the European Parliament’s resolution aimed at counteracting Russian media.
“Given the current level of our cooperation, I insistently ask you to impartially analyze the resolution and consequences of its possible implementation for Europe as a space for democracy and the rule of law and to give a public assessment. Silence in that case would be connivance at the worst – official recognition of expediency of repressions against media,” the letter issued on the Foreign Ministry’s website said.
Zakharova admitted that activities of the European Parliament formally are not a part of Mijatovic’s sphere of competence.
“However, this outrageous document disrupting democratic foundation of modern international relations in the sphere of freedom of speech and allowing the European community to return to the worst totalitarian practices of crackdown on dissent and liquidation of alternative point of views undoubtedly requires you professional assessment,” the letter said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the European Union was actively using its tools of propaganda aimed at Russian-speaking people.
Zakharova concluded that the attack on Russian media was an example of “exerting direct pressure on media and deliberate violation of freedom of speech.”
The EU parliament's resolution said that the Sputnik news agency and the RT broadcaster posed a danger to European unity and called for extra European Commission funding for counter-propaganda projects. It also draws parallel between Russian media and the propaganda disseminated by Daesh, a jihadist group outlawed in Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on the adoption of the European Parliament’s resolution on Russian media, congratulated RT and Sputnik journalists on effective work and stressed that this resolution indicated apparent degradation of the concept of democracy in the Western society. Putin also expressed hope that common sense would prevail and that there would be no actual restrictions against the Russian media.
