EU Resolution on Russian Media Violates International Norms - Envoy to OSCE

The European Parliament's resolution on countering Russian media is discriminative and violates international and European norms, Russia's Permanent Representative at the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said Thursday.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that equates Russian media outlets, including the Sputnik news agency and the RT broadcaster, to Daesh propaganda. The draft was initially proposed by EU lawmaker from Poland Anna Elzbieta Fotyga on EU strategic communication to counteract propaganda against the bloc by third parties.

Among 691 officials taking part in the vote, 304 parliamentarians supported the resolution, as 179 voted against and 208 abstained.

"The resolution, aside from its flagrant Russophobia, is an ugly example of discrimination against Russian media, as it violates key international standards of the freedom of expression…as well as the EU norms in the sphere of human rights and media freedoms," Lukashevich said addressing the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Lukashevich said that Russian authorities call on OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media Dunja Mijatović to adequately react to the Resolution on Russian media.

"We demand that the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović adequately respond to the resolution of the European Parliament that is an blatant example of call for restriction of freedom [of speech]," — he said.

The Russian diplomat added that "double-standard" policies, including in the sphere of the freedom of expression, had become a norm for the West.