Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Lawmaker Wants Female Journalists Barred From State Duma After Sexual Harassment Complaints

Anna Isakova / TASS

Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Igor Lebedev has called for several female journalists to be barred after they accused a fellow party member of sexual harassment.

Three female journalists told Dozhd TV on the condition of anonymity that State Duma deputy Leonid Slutsky, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), had made inappropriate remarks and touched them while in the Duma.

“He placed his palm on my inner thigh and slid his hand upwards,” one of the journalists was cited as saying. “We are no longer in contact, and I avoid him.”

Igor Lebedev, the son of the LDPR’s long-time leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, on Twitter accused the journalists of unethical behavior and said his party would seek to have their accreditation revoked.

Slutsky’s behaviour was common knowledge among the deputies, according to the journalists accusing him. One journalist was cited as saying she feared losing access to the Duma if she complained.

Slutsky, who also serves as Head of the Duma’s committee on foreign affairs, denied the accusations and took a stab at Dozhd.

“When your work can’t be faulted, provocations like this appear,” he told the RBC business portal. “This is common practice for Dozhd.”

Zhirinovsky, the LDPR’s leader, told Dozhd in a broadcast that Slutsky might have been “trying to attract the journalists’ attention.”

Zhirinovsky himself made headlines after he called on his aides to “rape” a pregnant journalist during a press conference in April 2014 when she asked whether Russia should retaliate against the travel restrictions placed on Russian men by Ukraine.

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