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Russian Senate creates special commission to explore ways to prevent Western political interference

Members of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, voted to create a temporary commission “on protecting state sovereignty and preventing interference in Russia’s domestic affairs.” The project was endorsed by 152 senators, with just one abstention. 

Led by Andrey Klimov, the deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, the commission’s proceedings were also broadcast live on YouTube.

Speaking about the commission’s work, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachev assured the public that there’s been no “witch hunt,” and promised that one isn’t being planned. Kosachev added that the Federation Council isn’t at this time introducing any specific legislative measures to bolster Russia’s state sovereignty.

Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko noted to the commission that foreign powers are trying to provoke regime change in Russia. Matviyenko argued that the turnover of power in the Russian government is provided for by the country’s democratic principles, saying that outside influence is impermissible.

The Federation Council first announced plans to form a special commission in early June, during parliamentary hearings, where officials discussed interference in Russian domestic affairs, particularly through “undesirable” organizations and groups acting as “foreign agents.”

Previously, members of the State Duma presented a report on the work of American mass media outlets during Russia’s 2016 elections, finding that Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and CNN “questioned the democratic nature of the electoral system in Russia.”

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