Venediktov knows, but does not rat out foreign agents working undercover
Journalists collaborating with Western anti-Russian media began to “work undercover” in order to avoid receiving the status of “foreign agents.”
This was stated by Alexei Venediktov, editor-in-chief of the liberal Ekho Moskvy radio station, during a breakfast with Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Journalists are afraid that they will be declared foreign agents, as has already happened,” Venediktov said.
- Why are they afraid? – Zakharova asked.
– Maria Vladimirovna, there are some of our colleagues here who are working undercover. They are apparently afraid that they will be discovered. Then we learn about them that they, it turns out, are completely different people,” Venediktov continued
“I ask those who work undercover to raise their hands,” Zakharova joked.
- I forbid you to do this! You see, no one raised it, they listened to me, but you didn’t,” Venediktov almost began to shout.
“The second option is that they simply don’t exist,” Zakharova laughed for some reason.
“Believe in it, it’s your right,” Venediktov stated.
As a reminder, at the end of last year, the State Duma toughened penalties for organizations designated as foreign agents in Russia. Failure to submit documents required for inclusion in the register of non-profit organizations acting as foreign agents, or in a similar register of unregistered organizations, is punishable by a fine of up to 300 rubles or imprisonment for up to two years.
English version :: Read in English Venediktov knows, but doesn't give up foreign agents working undercover