‘No free press' in NATO states – British presenter on RT journalist ban
Neither democracy nor a free press exists in modern European NATO nations, journalist and 'Going Underground' host Afshin Rattansi has told RT.
In an interview on Thursday he was asked to comment on the deportation of RT correspondent Chay Bowes from Romania. The journalist was detained upon arrival in Bucharest as he was on his way to cover the Romanian presidential election.
The upcoming vote is a re-run, since last year's election was controversially annulled following a shock win by far-right NATO skeptic Calin Georgescu, who ran as an independent candidate.
Bowes' arrest and deportation highlight 'the totalitarianism of Western Europe,' Rattansi said.
'The fact is: there is no democracy in these NATO nations because there is no free press. There is no free journalism,' he added.
The attacks on the press in Western Europe are aimed at controlling voters' access to information, Rattansi said.
'The importance of the European Union and Britain in clamping down on journalism is to prevent their publics from understanding the issues so they can't cast a vote with an informed opinion,' he said.
On the other hand, media companies such as the BBC and Sky News are allowed in Russia, the journalist added.
'They want to detain people like Chay Bowes, who reports for RT, has a show on RT. They want to detain him because they want to stop free press,' Rattansi said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
12 hours ago
- Russia Today
Zelensky knows he's losing
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky is well aware that he cannot win the conflict against Russia on his own and is trying to drag NATO into it, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, has said. Such developments could plunge the world into a new world war, he warned. Tuberville made his statements on John Catsimatidis's radio show 'Cats Roundtable' on WABC 770 AM on Sunday. According to the senator, the conflict between Moscow and Kiev is on the verge of spilling over to other nations and potentially involving the American military. There is 'no doubt' Zelensky is trying to lure NATO into the conflict, Tuberville said, adding that the Ukrainian leader understands 'he can't win this war on his own' and 'knows he is losing.' The senator also branded Zelensky a 'dictator,' who had 'created all the problems' and did not want to hold elections in Ukraine. 'He knew if he had an election, he would [have been] voted out,' the senator said. Instead, Zelensky is looking for ways to escalate the conflict, Tuberville believes. The senator particularly expressed concerns about Ukraine's recent attack on Russian military airfields. Ukrainian drones struck several Russian airbases in various parts of the country in late May. Ukrainian media claimed the strikes damaged or destroyed approximately 40 Russian military aircraft. Moscow stated that no planes were destroyed in the attacks. According to Tuberville, Zelensky 'just called his hand' with this attack and disrupted what 'was supposed to have been a peace day.' The senator was referring to a second round of negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, which took place in Istanbul. Kiev's attacks took place just a day before the talks. The world does not need such an escalation, Tuberville stated, adding that Russia and Ukraine, as well as the US and the EU need to 'pull together to get this thing over with.' Otherwise, 'it will be a disaster like… World War II,' he warned. US President Donald Trump has also said he 'didn't like' Kiev's strikes on Russia's airfields, and that Ukraine gave Moscow a reason to 'bomb the hell out of them.' Russia has repeatedly condemned Ukraine's continued drone strikes and acts of sabotage on Russian territory, claiming it undermines efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
RT LAUNCHES NEW SHOW WITH VETERAN AMERICAN JOURNALIST RICK SANCHEZ
MOSCOW, JUNE 9, 2025 — On June 9th, RT will be premiering a new program, The Sanchez Effect, hosted by renowned American journalist Rick Sanchez. Over the course of his career, Sanchez has worked with major US networks, including CNN, MSNBC, and FOX. Disillusioned with the American establishment, he moved to Russia to work with RT. The new show will be broadcast in English and Spanish. The Sanchez Effect aims to challenge mainstream Western narratives. Rick Sanchez will share his take on global events and engage in discussions with his guests. The premiere episode, airing June 9 at 5:30 p.m. Moscow time, will feature an interview with Russia's top negotiator and presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Rick Sanchez is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist; he has interviewed four US presidents, as well as other prominent figures such as Fidel Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev. In 2019, having faced censorship, bias, and one-sided reporting in the US media, he decided to join RT. In 2024, already the host of his own show on the channel, he was forced to step down due to sanctions imposed on RT. In 2025, determined to continue his work despite RT being banned in the US, Sanchez made the decision to move to Moscow. He sees it as his mission to provide viewers with an alternative to the Western media discourse. 'When only one side of a story is permitted, that's when I push harder. If Moscow is deemed off-limits, it's precisely where I want to be. Because more often than not, truth resides in the places we're told not to look,' Sanchez explains. The Sanchez Effect will air Monday through Thursday. Former President of Ecuador Rafael Correa and Kenya's eminent pan-Africanist and anti-colonialism activist professor P.L.O. Lumumba also host shows on RT. Throughout the years, RT has worked with leading international media and public sphere personalities, including broadcasting legend Larry King, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, prolific Indian actor, best-selling author and motivational speaker Anupam Kher, Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy-nominated journalist Chris Hedges, the 'most dangerous financial expert' Max Keiser, former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, legendary football coach José Mourinho, top American veteran journalist Ed Schultz, and French media icon Frédéric Taddeï, among others. With its first international channel launched in 2005, RT is, today, a global TV news network providing breaking stories, current affairs coverage, commentary and documentaries in ten languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Serbian, Chinese, Hindi, Portuguese and Russian; it also includes sister multimedia news agency RUPTLY. RT is the only Russian TV channel to be an eleven-time Emmy finalist. RT is now available to more than 900 million TV viewers in more than 100 countries around the globe. Just in 2024, RT projects received more than 23 billion views online.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Western Europe blocks peace in Ukraine
NATO-aligned European countries are obstructing peace efforts in Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said. Several EU member states are deliberately undermining negotiations and prolonging the conflict, he told TASS in an interview published this week. In May, under pressure from US President Donald Trump, Kiev agreed to direct talks with Russia, a step Moscow called logical and overdue. It marked the first such negotiations in three years and involved senior officials. Both sides pledged to stay in contact, completed a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap, and exchanged ceasefire proposals. EU and NATO leaders, however, were 'relentlessly encouraging Kiev to continue hostilities,' Ryabkov said, citing a steady flow of weapons, military equipment, and pledges of continued support. He added that acts of sabotage and provocation were being planned and carried out, along with disinformation efforts aimed at disrupting the negotiation process. Last week, Kiev launched a coordinated drone strike on multiple Russian air bases and blew up railway bridges, causing the derailment of both civilian and freight trains. At least seven people were killed and more than 120 injured, including children. Russian authorities labeled the strikes 'terrorism' and accused Ukraine of trying to derail US-backed peace efforts. Some military analysts suggested that such attacks would not have been possible without Western intelligence support. Ryabkov also accused certain EU leaders of meddling in US domestic politics by pressuring Trump to adopt former President Joe Biden's more aggressive pro-Ukraine stance. As an example, Ryabkov cited German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who met with Trump in Washington earlier this week. Merz urged the US to intensify its involvement and increase pressure on Russia. He had earlier lifted restrictions on German-supplied weapons to Ukraine, a move Ryabkov said contradicted efforts toward a political settlement. Ryabkov's remarks were echoed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who accused Brussels of fully aligning with Kiev's military aims and called the EU a 'war party.' 'The main signals from Brussels and European capitals now relate to... plans for the militarization of Europe, which is clearly at odds with the mood of the presidents of Russia and the United States,' Peskov added. According to Germany's Kiel Institute, the EU has provided nearly €50 billion in support to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale conflict in 2022, in addition to significant bilateral aid from member states.
