Putin Accuses West of Persecuting Russian Journalists Amid Media Tensions

President Vladimir Putin claims that the West is openly persecuting Russian journalists to suppress inconvenient truths. This follows Moscow's recent ban on dozens of U.S. journalists and Russia's ongoing restrictions on independent media. Putin emphasized that foreign correspondents in Russia must comply with local laws.

President Vladimir Putin has accused Western countries of openly persecuting Russian journalists to censor inconvenient facts and truthful information. His remarks were published on Monday, days after Moscow banned dozens of U.S. journalists from entering Russia.

Last Wednesday, Moscow announced it was prohibiting entry to Russia for 92 U.S. citizens, including journalists and key military-industrial firm heads, citing Washington's Russophobic stance. This follows ongoing Kremlin actions to suppress independent media and block dissenting voices since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Putin stated that Russian media are free, provided they comply with local legislation. He claimed Western countries impose unfair restrictions on Russian media and that Russian journalists face direct censorship. In May, Russian lawmakers passed a bill allowing prosecutors to shut foreign media bureaus in Moscow if a Western country is unfriendly to Russian media.

(With inputs from agencies.)