Kremlin to ban American journalists from visiting Russian State Duma
The State Duma of Russia will pass a resolution banning American journalist from visiting the lower house of the State Duma in response to the US Congress taking away the accreditation of RT journalists, stated the head of Rules and Regulations Committee of the State Duma Olga Savastyanova, RIA Novosti reports.
According to Savastyanova, on December 4, this proposal will be considered by the committee, and on the 5th - by the Council of the State Duma. On December 6, the proposal will be submitted to the lower house of the State Duma.
The committee will recommend implementing a similar measure by the regional legislative assemblies.
A report released by the US intelligence agencies in a January said that Russia intervened in the election of the US President in 2016. The RT television channel is mentioned separately in this report, which experts consider to be "the main tool of the Kremlin's international propaganda."
Recently, the US Justice Department has demanded from the Russian television company RT (formerly Russia Today) to register its US office as a "foreign agent". Later it became known that RT journalists were deprived of accreditation by the US Congress. In response, Russia has adopted a law that allows assigning a status of “foreign agent” to the media, which is receiving funding from abroad. The State Duma approved the relevant amendments on November 15, and on November 29 they were signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation will make decisions on adding the foreign media into the register of foreign agents.