WASHINGTON, October 25. /TASS/. The American version of the foreign agents law is applied selectively and with political overtones. This is stated in a statement on Tuesday, the comments of the Russian Embassy in the United States on the question of possible inclusion in the list of Russian media, particularly RT.
Informed during the regular briefing for journalists the head a press-services of the Department of state Heather Nauert made a statement that existing in the United States and Russia, the rules in relation to registered as a foreign agent different.
“The main difference of Russian from the American law is in its universality. As shown, U.S. law is applied selectively and purely politically motivated. This is demonstrated by the absence of U.S. list of foreign agents of the major media, funded by the Western countries”, – is spoken in the comment of the Russian Embassy.
A simple procedure?
Nauert said that in the US there is a “pretty simple process” registration of a foreign agent. According to the representative of the foreign Ministry, the Russian law on registered as foreign agents “is aimed at organizations that receive even minimal funding from any foreign sources, government or private, and participate in political activities, defined so broadly that it includes almost all public human rights activities.”
“When the United States is asking someone to register noagenda, we have no influence and not vozdeistviem on their ability to report the news and convey information,” she said.
“As regards the procedure for registering as a foreign agent in the US, its consequences are not so formal and painless, as the words of Mrs. Nauert,” in turn, noted in Embassy of the Russian Federation, recommending that the representative of the state Department to familiarize with the assessment of the situation of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin made earlier in the meeting of the international discussion club “Valdai”.
The Embassy also reminded that “Moscow has already announced the inevitability of a retaliatory reflex action on possible actions by the us authorities against the Russian media in the United States.” “The Russian side has repeatedly stated that forcing the Russian media in the United States change status to foreign agent can significantly impede their work and create problems for media companies”, – added in the Embassy.
New stimulus
There stated that “the words and deeds of the American authorities in respect of media freedom differ,” and that “in Washington have completely forgotten about enshrined in domestic legislation and international legal instruments principles on compliance with which the other countries are so fond of reminding.”
“Urge you not to create another irritant in bilateral relations and give the media to work in peace,” – said in comments.
Earlier, CNN had reported that RT did not recognize themselves noagenda. The chief editor of RT Margarita Simonyan said that the United States government required to do so before October 17. The TV channel notes that, according to interviewed experts in the field of American laws concerning the registration of foreign agents, is not yet clear what action will be taken by the U.S. justice Department.
