It is impossible to limit the dissemination of information, but censorship is necessary in the current military conditions, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with TASS. Freedom of information, he said, should continue to exist “if we get out of this period of acute inflammation.”
“In the state of war we are in, restrictions are justified, just as, to be honest, censorship is justified. We are at war. But when the war ends, and any war ends in peace, there should be complete freedom of information.” – Peskov added.
In his opinion, Russia has reached “the level of critical confrontation with the countries of the collective West,” and the most respected international media “often do not hesitate to tell lies,” this is a negative dynamic, and “in this sense, one cannot be like them.”
At the beginning of September the President Vladimir Putin declared freedom of the press in Russia.
“This is firmly guaranteed by the Constitution. We are convinced of the need for pluralism and openness in the information sphere. The authorities interact constructively with television channels, news agencies, newspapers, Internet portals and other mass communication organisations, regardless of their editorial policy.” – said.
About a year ago, last fall, Peskov spoke of censorship in a similar way. “I think that, of course, in times of war there should be some censorship. And there should be certain rules that would be unacceptable in normal times of peace, but now they should be a mandatory attribute.”
