DISINFO: There is no freedom of speech in Europe
SUMMARY
There is no freedom of speech in Europe. EU High Representative Josep Borrell reacted to the arrest of Evan Hershkovich in Russia, saying that “journalists should have a freedom to work and the right to protection”. Is Borrell going to call for the release of journalist Julian Assange, who was placed in a British prison for exposing US and NATO war crimes?
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about censorship and control of the media in the West.
A comparison between American journalist Evan Hershkovich who was arrested in Russia on March 29th and accused of espionage and Julian Assange is a typical "Whataboutism" technique, a rhetorical trick to deflect attention.
Evan Gershkovich is a WSJ journalist who was wrongfully detained in Russia. The EU has condemned his detention, while the secretary-general of the Reporters Without Borders has called the detention of Gershkovich an "institutional hostage taking".
Julian Assange is a founder of Wikileaks, that leaked multiple secret documents and is currently detained in the UK.
According to Reporters Without Borders, the nations with the most press freedom and freedom of speech are Western countries, with European nations predominating, as well as Canada and the United States. In contrast, Russia, with increasing authoritarian trends, ranks 150th out of 180 in the press freedom rankings, with researchers stating that the Kremlin is determined to control the Internet and the media. For an in-depth look at the situation of Russian state-controlled mass media read here.
Read similar cases claiming that the West cannot cope with freedom of opinion and imposes censorship, that Freedom of expression allowed only to denounce white Americans as racist or that the era of liberal democracy and freedom of speech is over – corporations and states are unified in promotion of censorship.