‘Outright censorship’: Russian Foreign Ministry slams Ofcom for ‘disproportionate’ penalty on RT

The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned a heavy fine issued by the British media regulator Ofcom against RT. The move was part of “anti-Russian campaign” launched in the UK, the ministry said.

“We witness a situation, in which the British authorities seek to restrict the activities of the Russian media in the UK, this time suing financial leverage,” the ministry said in a statement, after Ofcom announced that it issued a  £200,000 ($ 247.750) penalty to RT over its alleged breach of impartiality rules.

The ministry questioned the large penalty imposed on RT, stating that it “by far exceeds” the fines other media outlets have received, even in cases involving hate speech and incitement to violence. It also noted that the fine was issued ahead of a court case that is set to rule on the very legitimacy of the media watchdog's conclusions.

We regard Ofcom’s decision as an act of outright censure.

The statement also said that the British press has repeatedly involved itself in controversies and misrepresented facts in its own reporting. Most recently, when Italian police busted a neo-Nazi gang they claimed took part in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, the whole range of British media – including Reuters and the BBC – rushed to report on the gang's alleged links to “pro-Russian separatists,” even though Italian authorities never actually mentioned one.

“We closely follow the developments,” the ministry said, adding that the British media operating in Russia should be ready to “face consequences of London’s actions.”

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