The BBC’s Russian language website is being investigated by Russia’s media watchdog over potential breaches of the country’s strict anti-extremism laws.
Roskomnadzor, Russia’s telecommunications regulator, announced on Thursday that it would be examining the publishing of quotes by the leader of Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
“At present, materials have been discovered that broadcast the ideological attitudes of international terrorist organisations,” a spokesperson for Roskomnadzor said in a statement.
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CNN reports that Roskomnadzor announced it would open the investigation into the BBC after Ofcom was critical of Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT (formerly Russia Today) coverage of the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, saying it “breached impartiality rules”.
At the time, Roskomnadzor made it clear that the probe was a “tit-for-tat response” in direct response to criticism from Ofcom.
The BBC said: “As everywhere else in the world, the BBC works in Russia in full compliance with the country’s laws and regulations to deliver independent news and information to its audiences.”