MOSCOW, July 9. /TASS/. The United Kingdom’s move to bar Russian media outlets Sputnik and RT from attending a global media freedom conference in London is an example of double standards, Russian State Duma (lower house) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told reporters on Tuesday.
"Double standards are clearly seen now in the US, the UK and other countries’ policy towards media. Eventually, we need to acknowledge this reality ourselves because we used to be enchanted by what they suggested for us and said. But they told us one thing and did another," Volodin said.
"As soon as our country became strong and our voice was heard and when the voice of the truth became dangerous, those countries, which used to speak about democracy, crossed all this out and said: well, yes, this was in the past, and now we have new standards, and we won’t let you here," he said.
Earlier, the UK Foreign Office denied accreditation for the Global Conference for Media Freedom in London for Sputnik news agency and RT TV channel. A Foreign Office spokeswoman explained that RT and Sputnik had not been accredited because of "their active role in spreading disinformation."
The Global Conference for Media Freedom is due to be held on July 10-11. The forum will focus on such topics as protection of journalists’ rights, countering fake news and prosecution of people committing crimes against media representatives.