PACE adopts resolution calling for sanctions against Russian propagandists

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has adopted a resolution on propaganda and freedom of information in Europe, in which it called for sanctions against Russian propagandists and the recognition of the Russian Orthodox Church as an instrument of influence.

This was reported by Yevropeiska Pravda.

According to Oleksiy Honcharenko, a member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, 117 delegates voted in favor of the resolution, 14 were against and five abstained. It should be noted that of the 14 parliamentarians who voted against, five were Italians.

The resolution, the text of which is posted on the PACE website, states that the Parliamentary Assembly is concerned about the widespread spread of propaganda aimed at biased public opinion, jeopardizing the proper functioning of democratic systems and threatening common values and human dignity.

“Such harmful propaganda includes both propaganda that is illegal and propaganda that, although not prohibited, may harm the development of free opinions and informed participation of citizens in public debate and decision-making through unethical methods of communication, including disinformation and tools of psychological manipulation,” the resolution says.

At the same time, the PACE emphasized that the fight against harmful propaganda should not become a pretext for censorship.

“The Assembly recognizes that for authoritarian regimes, such as the Russian Federation, propaganda is an integral part of their war against democracy. The Russian state television channel RT (formerly known as Russia Today) and its worldwide network, as well as troll factories, are part of a broader strategy to destabilize European democracies and influence political processes.

The Assembly also... reiterates its call to recognize that the Russian Orthodox Church is used as an instrument of Russian influence and propaganda by the Kremlin regime,” reads the text of the amendment, which was sponsored by members of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE.

The Assembly also called for “targeted sanctions against Russian media outlets such as RT and its affiliates, as their activities violate journalistic ethics and should be considered a threat to the national security of member states.”

Author - Olena Madiak, 01/10/2024