On September 4, the State Duma held the second meeting of the Commission on the Investigation of Foreign Interference in Russia’s Internal Affairs. The Commission considered two key issues: the invitation of the US ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman to the meeting of the Commission, as well as the participation of the heads of the Deutsche Welle television and radio company. Both issues were supported unanimously.
Head of the Commission Vasilii Piskarev
Vasily Ivanovich
reminded that through the mass media Jon Huntsman had previously expressed readiness to provide clarification on the publication of the movement route of participants of an unauthorized rally in Moscow in the official social media accounts of the embassy, but members of the Commission consider these explanations insufficient. According to the parliamentarian, a letter of invitation had already been sent to the ambassador, but due to a change of address, it probably was not delivered.
The Commission unanimously supported the decision to invite the US Ambassador to one of the coming meetings of the Commission. A new invitation will be sent to Jon Huntsman by the State Duma Commission.
The Commission also unanimously supported the re-invitation of the heads of the Deutsche Welle television and radio broadcasting company. Earlier, the head of the General Management of Deutsche Welle Johannes Hoffmann sent a letter to Vasilii Piskarev in which he stated that the head office of Deutsche Welle took responsibility for the publication of the Moscow office.
Also, according to Vasilii Piskarev, members of the Commission intend to use inter-parliamentary relations at the level of Bundestag parliamentarians, as well as contacts at the level of other inter-parliamentary organizations, to establish contact with Deutsche Welle.
Vasilii Piskarev reminded that Deutsche Welle is accredited, it works unhindered, and the condition for accreditation is the obligation of the media to comply with Russian laws. “The Moscow office knew that the processions and rallies were not authorized, that is why we have questions, and they should be answered, whether Deutsche Welle is going to work in Russia and whether it is going to comply with Russian law,” the parliamentarian said.
The Commission will ask the Russian Foreign Ministry to revoke Deutsche Welle’s accreditation in Russia if this media does not answer the charges, said Vasilii Piskarev.
“There are other levers, we will appeal to the body that issued the accreditation so that it suspends [accreditation] or completely revokes it from individual correspondents. We just want to find out if they intend to continue to work in our country, and whether they will work within the legal field,” he said.
“We hope that they will come, give clarifications, but formally we have such a right (to ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to revoke the accreditation),” the parliamentarian noted. The Commission will wait for a response from Deutsche Welle for a few weeks.
The Commission is still waiting for answers to previously sent requests to law enforcement and other state bodies, its Chairman said.
The result of the Commission’s work may be legislative decisions aimed at protecting the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, emphasized Vasilii Piskarev.
“We will receive them and analyze to take measures to protect our sovereignty. One of the main tasks is the development of legislative initiatives to protect the sovereignty of the Russian Federation,” he concluded.
