Sputnik Urges EU to Avoid State-controlled Censorship

EDINBURGH, November 23rd 2016, Sputnik Press Office – Following a recent resolution on EU strategic communication to counteract propaganda against it by third parties passed by the European Parliament, Sputnik News Agency and Radio has called on several European and American organisations that support media freedom to take measures to prevent its effects, which are believed to be a threat to freedom of the press in Europe. The agency has outlined its aims in an official letter, signed by its Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan on November 23, which was sent to the relevant bodies. The international news agency addressed entities, such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and Reporters Without Borders, to seek support for freedom of the press following the passing of the resolution on EU strategic communications aimed at countering so-called ‘propaganda’ on November 23. An excerpt from the letter said: “The resolution directly attacks a number of reputable media sources, including Sputnik, and aims to prevent them from operating within the EU. Worse still, the motion directly contravenes the EU’s own rules on human rights and media freedom such as Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 11 of the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights, and an EU Resolution made on 11 December 2012 aimed at developing a Digital Freedom Strategy in EU Foreign Policy”. Sputnik Press Office commented on the resolution: “This resolution is a direct violation of media freedom and human rights. As such, we have contacted a number of European and American organisations such as the UN, UNESCO, OSCE, Reporter without Borders, and many media groups and trade unions to call for solidarity against this egregious kind of discrimination and censorship. We urge the international media community, of which Sputnik is a proud member, to not stay silent on this important issue and to join us to secure the values of freedom and democracy.” Included in the resolution was a bizarre accusation levelled at organisations such as Sputnik that their media output was comparable to the content produced by terrorist group Daesh. As a trusted and global media brand and new source, Sputnik finds this comparison both concerning and completely absurd. Commenting on the comparison, French MEP Jean-Luc Schaffhauser said: “The author of the resolution should be ashamed for drawing parallels between Russia and Daesh. The former is a state ruled by law while the latter is a terrorist organization. They have absolutely nothing in common.” Read more: https://sputniknews.com/agency_news/201611231047752279-sputnik-eu-censorship/