Sweden's prime minister has denied a report claiming that an adviser in his country's Moscow embassy met with opposition activists ahead of Sunday's State Duma elections to plan large-scale nationwide protests.
"There are no grounds for it," Fredrik Reinfeldt Radio Sweden on Monday afternoon in response to the report by NTV state television on Friday.
Reinfeldt suggested that Russian authorities "tried to cast doubt on the work of foreign offices," as "part of election campaigning," which showed their "growing nervousness as they waited for the election results."
The claim was made in a that aired Friday evening on the Gazprom-controlled television channel, decrying Golos, Russia's only independent elections watchdog, as a subversive agent of foreign governments.
In the report a narrator said the Swedish Embassy official met with students, opposition activists and bloggers, including prominent Anton Nosik.
Nosik laughed off the accusations on his blog last week, while Golos has promised to the channel.
NTV reporters barged into Golos offices in late November to question them on camera about whether they were financed from abroad.
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.
Remind me later.
