By James Simons-
Russia has indicated plans to take reprisals against the BBC, after Natwest Bank withdrew its services from Russia’s English-language broadcaster, RT.
Maria Zakharova, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, wrote on social media that the British bank’s decision earlier this week to close RT’s bank accounts “reeked of” the BBC – implying the British state broadcaster may have been pressing for the closure of Russia Today.
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Zakharova told reporters that Moscow would retaliate in kind if necessary, prompting speculation that the BBC based in Russia may be victimised in response to the withdrawal of the service.
SOCIAL MEDIA IN RUSSIA
Zakharova pointed out in her social media post on Friday, that the BBC’s Russian service had recently run what she dismissed as an empty investigation into RT’s UK activities.
“Why did they do this?” she wrote. “So that a nasty taste stayed behind. I wish the BBC Russian service luck. They will need it now, because digging stuff up can be a diverting and unpredictable business.”
Russian diplomatic sources in the UK claimed the attack on RT was part of an attempt to squeeze Russian thinking out of Britain, and said that the action against RT was prompted by the bank, and its owner – a reference to the UK government.
The sources said that four other Russian news agencies have had their accounts closed, in London, and been prevented from finding other sources of financial support.
RUSSIA’S AMBASSADOR
Russia’s ambassador Alexander Yakovenko said the decision to close RT’s accounts would challenge the UK’s image as an upholder of the freedom of expression.
”There is a problem of free speech in this country. The clear conclusion is that the Russian alternative point of view is not welcome here. Their aim is to make the work of this channel impossible in this country,” Yakovendo said.
The closure of RT’s accounts would challenge the UK’s image as an upholder of free speech, the sources said. However,he has not yet stated what aspect of free speech the BBC and the UK government are trying to compromise. RT has stated that they report news from a more objective standpoint than Sky News, and the eye of media.com has contacted RT for an example of Sky reporting that was biased, with a list of missing factual pieces of information that were missing, to show evidence of this biased reporting.
RT told the eye of media.com that they would get back to us when they can, as they are dealing with several media requests. We patiently await their response.
A previous statement from the Russian embassy in London read: “This openly political decision follows many similar acts of harassment and intimidation against Russian news outlets in UK (others affected include Rossiya Segodnya).
“Russia Today itself has been subjected to a plethora of unsubstantiated Ofcom investigations. This policy amounts to squeezing alternative voices out of UK media space.”
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PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE RUSSIAN EMBASSY
Protesters are also expected to deliver an open letter, urging Theresa May to take robust action to stop the bombs – signed by many of the world’s leading charities and campaigning organisations – to the door of No 10.
The protest follows a call from Boris Johnson called for demonstrations against the bombing outside the Russian embassy. Rather than appeal to the Russians, the rally is targeted at May and Johnson himself, calling on them to set out clearly the steps the British government will take to protect civilians in Syria.