Russian Ambassador
to Vienna:
Canadian Sanctions on Iran Sign of Weakness
VIENNA (Dispatches) -- A senior Russian diplomat has condemned Canada over imposition of sanctions on a wide range of Iranian institutions and persons, including the English-language Press TV news network, describing it as a sign of Western authoritarianism.
“This is a sign of weakness. Moreover, this is yet another sign of the authoritarian trends in the West,” Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov tweeted Wednesday.
He added, “No space for competition of different views. Just dictate and brainwashing.”
Independent journalist and political commentator Richard Medhurst, who previously hosted Press TV’s The Communiqué program, denounced Canadian sanctions against the 24-hour channel.
“This is the level of intellectualism, free speech, and debate in the West,” he said.
“You’re not allowed to consume other media and make up your own mind. You must be nannied, told what to believe, and never dissent from establishment narrative,” Medhurst tweeted.
The Canadian government announced the new sanctions in a Monday statement, claiming they were in response to “human rights violations” committed in Iran.
These new measures come in addition to Canada’s existing sanctions against Iran. They listed 25 individuals and nine entities, including officials in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence.
Iran’s 24-hour English-speaking Press TV, which has played a pivotal role during the past two weeks in reporting the riots and their background support base through various news data-x-items and articles, is on the list of the Canadian government’s sanctions.