Marat Kasem, the former editor of the Russian propaganda outlet, Sputnik Lithuania, was recently released on bail from a prison in Latvia. He openly acknowledged that his objective at Sputnik was to sow discord in Lithuania, as reported by Latvia’s public broadcaster, LSM.
“What we were dealing with was nothing related to journalism. It was classic propaganda,” Kasem admitted to LSM.
“I had an editorial office whose main goal was to destabilize the situation in Lithuania. By the way, I was not so closely connected with Latvia,” he continued.
Kasem, a Latvian citizen, had previously resided and worked for several years in Moscow within the media conglomerate Rossiya Segodnya, which also owns Sputnik Lithuania. He returned to Latvia in late 2022 and was apprehended on January 3, 2023, suspected of providing financial support to a Kremlin propaganda outlet subject to European Union sanctions.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated for potential breaches of EU sanctions, resulting in a fine of EUR 15,500. He has also been declared persona non grata in Lithuania. Last July, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Kasem had left Latvia for Russia.
Kasem contends that his involvement with Sputnik Lithuania was primarily motivated by financial gain rather than ideological alignment. He received a salary of several thousand euros, along with accommodation and a car.
Propaganda directed by Russian presidency
“I had an editorial office whose main goal was to destabilize the situation in Lithuania. By the way, I was not so closely connected with Latvia,” he continued.
Kasem, a Latvian citizen, had previously resided and worked for several years in Moscow within the media conglomerate Rossiya Segodnya, which also owns Sputnik Lithuania. He returned to Latvia in late 2022 and was apprehended on January 3, 2023, suspected of providing financial support to a Kremlin propaganda outlet subject to European Union sanctions.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated for potential breaches of EU sanctions, resulting in a fine of EUR 15,500. He has also been declared persona non grata in Lithuania. Last July, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Kasem had left Latvia for Russia.
Kasem contends that his involvement with Sputnik Lithuania was primarily motivated by financial gain rather than ideological alignment. He received a salary of several thousand euros, along with accommodation and a car.
Propaganda directed by Russian presidency
According to Kasem, directives for propaganda activities are directly issued from the Russian presidential administration, particularly from First Deputy Chief of Staff Alexey Gromov.
“They convene meetings every Thursday, attended by [Rossiya Segodnia head Dmitry] Kiselyov, [Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria] Zakharova, and other directors of propaganda agencies and TV channels. Gromov is the key figure in the administration responsible for shaping the information landscape in Russia and abroad. He instructs them on what to present and how to present it,” Kasem informed the Latvian public broadcaster.
He also disclosed his past role as a host of a talk show with Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, claiming that even the jokes on the show were scripted to prompt witty responses from Zakharova.
Furthermore, Sputnik’s coverage was allegedly influenced by Latvian MEP Tatjana Ždanoka, who, as revealed by a recent investigation, has been collaborating with Russian intelligence services for decades.
“They convene meetings every Thursday, attended by [Rossiya Segodnia head Dmitry] Kiselyov, [Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria] Zakharova, and other directors of propaganda agencies and TV channels. Gromov is the key figure in the administration responsible for shaping the information landscape in Russia and abroad. He instructs them on what to present and how to present it,” Kasem informed the Latvian public broadcaster.
He also disclosed his past role as a host of a talk show with Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, claiming that even the jokes on the show were scripted to prompt witty responses from Zakharova.
Furthermore, Sputnik’s coverage was allegedly influenced by Latvian MEP Tatjana Ždanoka, who, as revealed by a recent investigation, has been collaborating with Russian intelligence services for decades.
Source: lrt.It
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