Vladimir Putin accused the West of openly persecuting Russian journalists and while Moscow banned 92 American citizens, including journalists, from entering the country.
“To hide from inconvenient facts, from true information, the West, which considers itself a model of freedom, has begun to openly persecute Russian correspondents,” Putin complained in statements to Mongolia’s Onodor newspaper ahead of his visit to the country.
On Wednesday, Moscow banned 92 US citizens – including journalists, lawyers and defense industry executives – from entering Russian territory over what it described as Washington’s Russophobic stance.
Censorship
Putin argued that there is freedom of the press in Russia, with the basic condition that journalists comply with the country’s laws.
“The only condition is that (journalists) comply with Russian law,” he explained. “Foreign correspondents who receive accreditation in our country must understand this.”
Russia has repeatedly accused Western countries of imposing unfair restrictions on its media, including bans on Russian state media.
Putin told the Mongolian newspaper that Russian journalists face “direct censorship” in almost all Western countries.
“The only thing our media does is convincingly convey the Russian point of view on modern problems and processes taking place in the world,” the Russian president explained.
In May, Russian lawmakers approved a bill giving prosecutors more powers to close down foreign media outlets in Moscow if a Western country treats Russian media in a “hostile manner.”
Washington has imposed sanctions on some Russian state television stations, which it says are “spreading disinformation in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine».
Source: RES-MPE