Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary of the Russian President, has vehemently criticized the Clooney Foundation’s plan to pursue the arrests of Russian journalists abroad, branding the idea as “insane.” This statement was reported by the Russian news agency TASS.
In a conversation with a TASS correspondent, Peskov urged journalists to scrutinize the individuals behind what he referred to as “these madmen.” His comments reflect a strong rebuke of the Clooney Foundation’s intentions.
On May 31, it was revealed that the Clooney Foundation aims to seek closed arrest warrants for Russian journalists in Europe. Anna Neistat, the Director of Legal Affairs for the Docket project, explained that the foundation plans to use provisions against “war propaganda” found in the criminal codes of some European countries to request the initiation of criminal cases.
Vladimir Solovyov, the head of the Union of Journalists of Russia (SJR), echoed Peskov’s sentiments, calling the foundation’s threats against Russian journalists completely unacceptable. Solovyov argued that the foundation’s members are blinded by their own propaganda and that their actions are a direct attack on press freedom.
