News channel Russia 1 publishes open letter in support of sanctioned pro-Kremlin journalist Kiselyov

Employees of government-owned Russian news channel “Russia” have written an open letter in support of their colleague, journalist Dmitry Kiselyov, who has been subject to sanctions by the European Union. The journalist and TV anchor, who recently became the head of state-funded news agency Rossiya Segodnya, is known for his anti-western rhetoric and homophobic tirades.

In their letter, employees of Russia condemn the sanctions imposed on Kiselyov, who they describe as “one of the most famous journalists in our country, who leads the main analytical programme on TV, News of the Week, a weekly programme viewed by tens of millions of viewers”. The letter also sees Russia’s employees question the EU’s commitment to freedom of speech and freedom of movement, which they declare to be the basic and essential values of European civilisation, posing numerous questions about why sanctions might have been imposed on a journalist.

“We want to hear honest answers to these questions: in Europe are there taboo subjects? Does the EU have the right to punish any journalist for their professional activity? Can journalists now expect EU sanctions for their views?” reads the letter.

Recent weeks have seen an increasing number of open letters written by members of Russia’s cultural sphere, with many of them publically denouncing the political trajectory of President Putin’s government. Following an alleged government clampdown, journalists have contributed to the trend for open letters. Few, however, have done so in alignment with the Russian government until now.