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German Cabinet Denies Waging Campaign Against Russian Media

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BERLIN (Sputnik) - Berlin refutes Moscow's accusations that Germany is attempting to discredit Russian media, the German Cabinet's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said on Friday, stressing that his country prioritised freedom of the press.

"Those who make such strange claims publicly either know little about Germany and freedom of the press or wish to depict Germany negatively. Anyway, I firmly refute these presumptions. Freedom of the press is highly valued in our country," Seibert said at a press briefing.

A day earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said that Russia would hand over proof that Germany had intensified attempts to discredit Russian media outlets to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

READ MORE: German Journalist Federation Calls on Regulators to Deny Broadcast License to RT

Late on Thursday, the German Federation of Journalists (DJV), which called on local regulators in January not to issue a license for broadcasting to the RT Deutsch broadcaster, responded to Zakharova's claim, saying that there was no campaign against Russian media in Germany, but only "unanimous criticism."

Back in January, the DJV slammed RT Deutsch as a "tool for Kremlin propaganda".

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The situation around Russian media in the West has become increasingly difficult in recent years. In November 2016, the European Parliament voted in favour of a resolution to counter alleged Russian anti-European Union propaganda. According to the document, media such as Sputnik and RT pose a threat to European unity, and thus extra European Commission funding is needed for counter-propaganda projects.

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: How Liberal Media 'Operates as Propaganda System for State Power'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the resolution proved that Western democracy was failing, but expressed hope that common sense would prevail and Russian media outlets would be able to work abroad without restrictions.

A number of Western politicians, including those in the United Kingdom, the United States, and France, have accused Sputnik and RT of interfering in elections and spreading propaganda, without providing any evidence. Russian officials have repeatedly stressed that Moscow does not meddle in other countries' affairs.

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