The Latvian authorities act as if they are in a state of war with Russia, while they themselves are asking the Russian Federation to stop the fall in transit traffic and increase food exports to Russia, said Elena Panina, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, commenting on the detention of journalists writing for Sputnik Latvia and Baltnews.
Sputnik The Near Abroad previously reported that Russian-speaking Latvian journalists, including those who collaborate with the portals Baltnews and Sputnik Latvia, were charged under an article on violating the EU sanctions regime, they were searched, and a recognizance not to leave was taken. According to the agency, the charges were brought under Article 84 of the Latvian Criminal Law – violation of the EU sanctions regime, punishment ranging from a monetary fine to imprisonment. Sputnik Latvia and Baltnews are affiliated with the Russia Segodnya media group. At the same time, the Latvian journalists writing for these media are not their employees, but act only as freelance authors.
“The Latvian authorities act as if they are in a state of war with Russia, while they themselves are asking the Russian Federation to stop the drop in transit traffic and increase food exports to the Russian Federation, which is markedly dominated by alcoholic products. We need to coordinate economic activities with political factors. Latvia is behaving defiantly and aggressively, we can easily do without Latvian alcohol. You should not give your market to those who consider us enemies, “Panina told RIA Novosti.
In her opinion, these events are not a separate local episode, but part of a purposeful repressive campaign against journalists, experts and political figures who hold the “wrong position”.
“This campaign has been going on for many years throughout Eastern Europe, its victims are not only brightly pro-Russian figures, but also those who take a cautious, neutral position, simply do not want to see an enemy in Russia,” the deputy said.
She stressed that against this background, bullying of journalists has become commonplace.
“It is worth remembering the case of Kirill Vyshinsky in Kiev, the criminal cases against his colleagues in Estonia. Everything goes to the fact that soon the very fact of cooperation with the Russian media will be considered a crime in countries that are in the sphere of influence of the Western bloc,” the politician said.
According to Panina, today only the naive thinks that all these stories are “excesses on the ground”, but, in her words, behind all this is clearly visible “the handwriting of global players giving instructions to vassals.”
“While we are discussing whether or not it is necessary to adopt a law on foreign agents-individuals who receive assistance from abroad, in the sphere of influence of the West, everyone who is suspected of real or imaginary“ pro-Russian ”is being severely oppressed, the politician stressed.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the actions of the Latvian authorities against Russian-speaking journalists a punitive action and a blatant example of violating the foundations of a democratic society – freedom of the media and expression of opinion. The diplomatic department of the Russian Federation noted that the sanctions are personal in nature, relate personally to the director general of the Russia Today news agency Dmitry Kiselev and cannot apply to everyone who cooperates with the media holding. Editor-in-chief of MIA Rossiya Segodnya and RT, Margarita Simonyan, expressed the hope that Russia will respond to criminal cases against Russian-speaking journalists.