BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The European Parliament voted on Wednesday in favor of the resolution which targeted a range of Russian media outlets, such as the Sputnik news agency and the RT broadcaster. The document was passed by 304-179 votes, with 208 abstentions. With a total of 691 officials taking part in the vote, less than a half supported the resolution.
24 November 2016, 17:24 GMT
The initiative, tabled by a Polish lawmaker, drew parallels between Russian strategic communication and the propaganda disseminated by the Daesh militant group, banned in Russia and other countries.
Sputnik responded by calling the move a direct violation of media freedom and human rights. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this showed degradation of the West’s idea of democracy. He praised Sputnik and RT for their work, the president expressed hope that real media restrictions would not follow.
