Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Media Watchdog Investigating BBC for Airing IS Leader's Quotes

David Jones / Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Russia's state communications regulator said on Thursday that the BBC had published material that propagated the ideas of a terrorist group and that it was investigating whether the British public broadcaster had broken Russian law.

"Checks are underway into whether the BBC's internet sites... comply with Russian law. To date, material has been uncovered which transmits the ideological principles of a terrorist group [quotes of the terrorist al-Baghdadi,]" the regulator said in a statement.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the leader of Islamic State, a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

"An investigation is underway into whether these materials are in compliance with the norms of Russian legislation," the regulator's statement said. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more