DAMASCUS, (ST)- The European Parliament’s resolution against Russian media is an arbitrary measure that violates media laws and the freedom of Press, Information Minister Mohammad Ramez Turman has stressed.
Within the anti-Russia campaign launched by the United States and some European countries, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution on “countering Russian media outlets”, such as the Sputnik news agency and the RT broadcaster.
“The new procedure is a continuation of a repressive course and policy of shutting up every free voice and media organizations, which are platforms for free expression of thoughts based on high professionalism,” Turjman told Sputnik.
“This is an arbitrary act and flagrant violation of laws in the media sphere, as well as restriction of work freedom of Sputnik and RT TV channel,” said the minister.
He added that the European Parliament’s move shows Western countries’ concern over the success of the Russian and Syrian armies in the fight against terror.
“Wherever they feel that there are some voices saying the truth, they shut them down,” the minister added, referring to a similar strategy adopted before by the West when Al-Manar TV channel was blocked in Europe.
“Today the fig leaf is falling to uncover the lies of the Western countries which claim false democracy,” the minister said.
On behalf of the Syrian media institutions and on his own behalf, Turjman expressed solidarity with Sputnik news agency and RT TV Channel, saying that these two Russian media outlets are the Syrian media’s real partners in saying the truth and conveying real image of events.
“Sputnik and RT staffs are real heroes,” added the minister, describing the European parliament’s resolution as a media award proving the Russian media’s professionalism and credibility.
Russian President Vladimir Putin commented yesterday on the resolution by saying that “it is a quite obvious degradation in the political sense of this word of the vision of democracy in the Western society”.
Hamda Mustafa