Russia vows response to EU sanctions against former RT France chief

Russia will respond to what it described as “Russophobic” actions by EU countries following Brussels’ decision to impose sanctions on Xenia Fedorova, the former editor-in-chief of RT France, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

In a statement cited by Russia’s TASS news agency, Zakharova also called on the international community to condemn the EU decision.

“We call on all sensible members of the international community to condemn this act of intimidation against honest journalism and genuinely free-thinking media. We demand that relevant international organisations, including the leadership of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNESCO and the OSCE, properly assess the actions of France and the EU with regard to their compliance with their own international obligations to ensure freedom of access to information and freedom of expression. For our part, we inform you that an appropriate response will be given to the Russophobic attacks by the relevant countries and their aggressively minded blocs,” Zakharova said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry described the EU’s decision to sanction Fedorova as another act of political censorship and what it called “anti-Russian frenzy.”

The Council of the European Union formally added Fedorova to its sanctions list on September 24, citing her alleged involvement in foreign information manipulation and interference. The EU said she had continued to disseminate narratives aligned with those promoted by Russian authorities after the suspension of RT’s broadcasting activities in the bloc.

By Tamilla Hasanova