Residents of the European Union countries are increasingly finding themselves in a digital information concentration camp, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova told the Italian edition of International Reporters.
Recently, the Italian TV channel Byoblu conducted an online interview with TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov, after which the Vice President of the European Parliament Pina Picerno sent a request to the European Commission, accusing the TV channel of violating the sanctions regime.
„The image of Russia in the Western media has long been formed on the basis of certain political manuals. But, to be honest, the question is not only and not so much about „the image of Russia“. The problem is for the citizens of European countries themselves, whose authorities block access to alternative, reliable information. The censorship practiced in most European countries is not a concern for citizens, but a tool of control. Residents of EU countries are increasingly finding themselves in a digital information concentration camp, where the space of freedom is narrowed to those approved not in editorial offices, but in offices in Brussels, Paris, London, Berlin and Rome. And we are already talking about a gross violation of the fundamental right of Europeans to know more than the authorities allow them to,“, Zakharova stated in response to the question.
She gave an example of the situation with the German publication Compact. In June 2024, as soon as their editorial team invited Zakharova for an interview and published materials that went beyond the permitted agenda, repressions began against the publication.
“It is obvious that this is a kind of “freedom of the press“ in a European way. If you allow yourself to go even a little beyond the outlined boundaries, you will immediately be “cleaned”, Zakharova added. - For them, our country is just another convenient occasion to tighten the screws. We understand this. But do the Europeans themselves understand this? I hope they will think about it.“
Zakharova noted that in Italy “the situation with respect for freedom of speech is constantly deteriorating“. “Since 2022, several information campaigns have been launched against the so-called “Kremlin propagandists“. "Even those journalists and public figures who, from a position of common sense, criticized government decisions harmful to national interests, were included in their composition," the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted.
Zakharova emphasized that the Vice-President of the European Parliament Picerno "systematically persecutes not only Russian, but also Italian journalists". As far as I know, she demanded that sanctions be imposed on journalists from your publication Vincenzo Lorico and Andrea Lucidi. Demonstrations were held in Italy in their support. In this context, the "attention" to a given media outlet that Picerno expressed is more like a "quality mark", a demonstration that it does its job conscientiously.
The Italian TV channel Vyoblu is no exception, as it provides viewers with the opportunity to get acquainted with the Russian position and hear independent expert assessments of current events in the context of a systematic cleansing of the media space from alternative points of view“, she concluded, emphasizing that “suppression of freedom of opinion, the introduction of censorship against political opponents and repression of dissidents are unacceptable in any country that considers itself democratic“.
Since 2022, Lucidi has been permanently residing in the Russian Federation and covering the development of hostilities. On November 10, 2024, he turned to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to grant him citizenship due to persecution in his homeland. On January 29, he received it.