EU Resolution Against Russian Media ‘Not Curtailing’ Press Freedoms - HRW

The resolution by the European Parliament to counter Russian media outlets is not restricting press freedoms, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Europe and Central Asia Division Deputy Director Rachel Denber told Sputnik on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier on Wednesday, the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution based on the report "EU strategic communication to counteract propaganda against it by third parties", countering Russian media outlets, such as Sputnik and RT.

"Regarding the resolution: the resolution’s proposals are about how the EU [European Union] should organize and carry out its own communications, it’s not about curtailing media freedoms, so we don’t have a view on it one way or another," Denber said.

Less than half of the 691 parliamentarians taking part in the vote supported the resolution: 304 voted in favor of the resolution, 179 voted against and 208 abstained.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated RT and Sputnik journalists for their work and emphasized that the resolution indicates an apparent degrading of the concept of democracy in Western society.

Putin expressed hope that common sense would prevail and there would be no actual restrictions instituted against Russian media.