Moscow May Declare US Media Outlets in Russia 'Foreign Agents'

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia may consider recognition of US media outlets operating in the country as 'foreign agents' or their inclusion in the list of "undesirable" organizations, a lower house lawmaker said on Wednesday.

"In regard to 'mirror' measures, I would of course highlight the recognition of such media as CNN as foreign agents in Russia, or the inclusion of these media outlets in the list of undesirable organizations, as possible retaliatory measures, naturally, with all the consequences that result from that status," Anton Gorelkin, a member of the State Duma committee on information policy, told Sputnik.

"Of course, the [State Duma] lawmakers are discussing this issue," Gorelkin added.

Earlier, a contractor of the Russian RT broadcaster in the United States received a letter from the US authorities to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act over its work for the broadcaster. RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan has admitted that RT has not been under this kind of pressure in any other country.

Russian officials have decried attempts to restrict the activities of Russian media outlets, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating that the US request for RT to register as a foreign agent under FARA undermined press freedom.