Russian media boycott State Duma over MP’s harassing female reporters


State Duma.
Photo: guu.ru

Russian TV channels RTVi and Rain, radio Echo of Moscow and media holding RBC have withdrawn their reporters from the Russian parliament after the scandalous decision of the Duma Commission on Ethics over the case of MP Leonid Slutsky.

In the run-up to the presidential elections in Russia, Slutsky, a representative of the Liberal and Democratic Party, was accused of sexual harassment. BBC reporter Farida Rustamova stated that Slutsky, had attempted to grab her by private parts. Similar accusations against the MP were brought by RTVi editor Katerina Katrikadze and TV Rain producer Darya Zhuk.

On March 21, the Ethics Commission said that there had been no rule breaking in his actions.

In solidarity with their colleagues, the influential Russian newspaper Kommersant refused to deal and interact with Mr Slutsky. Lenta.ru promised to remove all materials related to the deputy.

According to the representative of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy and Information Technologies Leonid Levin, the decision to refuse to work in the Duma runs contrary to the main task of the media, i.e. informing the public, meduza.io reports.

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