Australia Starts Preliminary Probe Into RT as Possible Foreign Agent - Simonyan

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Australian Federal Police has launched an investigation into the RT's activities as a potential foreign agent while the broadcaster has never received a single complaint from the authorities before, RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said Tuesday.

"The Australian Federal Police began a preliminary investigation into the RT as a potential foreign agent. Refusal to register [as such], in case of recognition of us as an agent, provides for criminal punishment. During the entire broadcasting period [in Australia], we have never received any complaints from the Australian regulators. Probably the reason for the investigation is that we are the RT," Simonyan posted on her social media accounts.

READ MORE: RT Being Forced Off Cable Channel in Washington, DC Area

In November 2017, the US branch of the Russian RT broadcaster registered as a "foreign agent" in the United States under FARA upon the request of the Department of Justice following repeated accusations that the broadcaster allegedly meddled in the 2016 US presidential election.

Russia has refuted these allegations, pointing to lack of proof. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has called such claims groundless.

In response to Washington's measures against Russian media outlets, Moscow introduced a law allowing the Russian Justice Ministry to recognize foreign media outlets as "foreign agents."