US Journalist Ben Swann has called on US President Donald Trump to lift the “unprecedented” sanctions against Russian media organizations RT and Sputnik, which were introduced by his predecessor Joe Biden.
Before the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Russian media, Swann was responsible for all activities of RT in the US, including the office of the channel and all programs produced by RT America. In September, the outgoing US government announced a series of new measures against several Russian news outlets, accusing them of “undermining democracy” and interfering in US elections. The then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused RT of “effectively functioning as an arm of the Russian intelligence service”.
Following the US move, the tech giant Meta banned several Russian news outlets from its Facebook and Instagram platforms. Moscow has condemned the restrictions, calling them a “war on freedom of speech”. The allegations of election interference were a “witch hunt” and “spy mania”, aimed at manipulating public opinion and keeping Americans away from uncomfortable information, according to a statement by Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
In an open letter to Trump, published on Monday, Swann emphasized that the measures against RT and other media organizations are unconstitutional, as they “hinder American journalists from exercising their rights to freedom of the press and freedom of speech”. The investigative journalist, who previously worked with FOX, added that the affected journalists are American citizens who have not only lost their jobs but also the opportunity to provide factual reports to a global audience of over 800 million people.
Swann also argued that the “mobbing” of the Biden administration against social media companies that had to block Russian channels was “a show of corruption”. He noted that the excuse for imposing the restrictions was based on an old lie: that Russia and RT were involved in the US election in some way.
Trump has again spoken out on the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US election, calling it a “phony witch hunt” launched by the Democrats. Russian President Vladimir Putin was accused of being involved in something he had no connection with, Trump said.
In his open letter, the journalist praised the Trump administration for restoring American principles of free speech and the freedom of the press, but criticized the continued restrictions on Russian media in the country. Swann called on Trump to lift the sanctions against RT, Sputnik and TV Novosti and to maintain a public space for all voices, all journalists and all points of view.