Russia backs inquiry into US media outlets

Move follows US bill to investigate voting interference

MOSCOW // The Russian lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has approved a proposal to launch an investigation into American media organisations operating in Russia.

The investigation, which will be conducted by the Duma’s information policy, technologies and communications committee, will examine whether the US media – including such giants as CNN, the Voice of America, Radio Liberty and others – are complying with Russian law. A statement from the Duma said it had approved the investigation after Konstantin Zatulin, a member of parliament from the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, proposed an inquiry to retaliate for what he called a “repressive” United States move against Russian state-funded broadcaster RT. Mr Zatulin said he was referring to an initiative by US senator Jeanne Shaheen, who has introduced a bill to empower the US justice department to investigate possible violations of the foreign agents registration act by RT. Ms Shaheen, a Democrat, cited a US intelligence agency assessment that suggested RT was part of a Russian campaign to help Donald Trump win the White House last year.

The Kremlin and RT strongly rejected that allegation.

Foreign media in Russia are overseen by the Russian foreign ministry. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova last week singled out Ms Shaheen’s proposed action for particular criticism, with an ironic suggestion that the senator should have included a clause drawing up a list of books for burning. The US move also angered Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT, who said what the senator was proposing evoked the activities of US senator Joseph McCarthy, who presided over a campaign in the 1950s to expose people he regarded as communists.