Russia’s censorship agency has accused the BBC of posting materials that ‘broadcast terrorist ideologies’

Roskomnadzor, the Russian government agency responsible for monitoring mass media and communications, has announced that it found materials “that broadcast the ideological positions of international terrorist organizations” on the website of the BBC’s Russian Service.

The regulatory body cited a quote from a speech given by Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, an Islamic State leader, as an example of the materials under scrutiny.

An investigation is underway to evaluate whether the materials at hand correspond with Russian anti-extremist laws.

Roskomnadzor began investigating the BBC’s website and the BBC World News television channel, which is available on Russian territory, in late December. The agency explicitly stated that the investigation was initiated in response to another investigation by the British agency Ofcom. Ofcom had accused the Russian state-owned television channel RT of violating British regulations.