EU Parl't Resolution on Countering Russian Media 'Information Crime' - Moscow

The resolution adopted by the European parliament on countering Russian media, including RT TV channel and Sputnik news agency, is an "information crime," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier in the day, the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution on countering Russian media outlets, such as the Sputnik news agency and the RT broadcaster. Authors of the document equate counteracting Russia with the resistance to Daesh terrorist group and call on EU member states to boost financing counter-propaganda projects.

"It is a crime, the attention of the international community is being distracted from real threats like terrorism, fundamentalism, rising nationalism and xenophobia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Rossiya-1 TV channel.

She added that when making such a decision, EU politicians are committing a crime because they don't let people themselves analyze global events when having information from alternative media sources.

Zakharova said that the EU parliament resolution is an "evidence of an information crime," adding that some 200 lawmakers abstained from voting apparently because they "were ashamed" to take part in such an initiative.

Moscow rules out imposing any measures discriminating Western journalists in Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

However, she said that Moscow may respond if the work of Russian journalists would be restricted in any way, however, "it is not our choice."