British authorities have detained and interrogated Steve Sweeney, the head of RT’s Lebanon office, over his professional association with the Russian state-funded broadcaster. According to RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simony, the UK police examined Sweeney regarding potential ties to terrorist activities, his alleged compulsion to report specific content, and his connections to the Lebanese Hezbollah group. While the journalist was questioned extensively, he was eventually released and stated his intent to continue working for RT.
This incident follows similar actions against pro-Palestinian journalists in Austria and the UK, highlighting ongoing tensions regarding media freedom and the spread of information in the context of the Ukraine conflict. Earlier this year, Austrian officials detained independent British journalist Richard Medhurst, known for his pro-Palestinian stance, over suspected ‘disseminating propaganda’ and encouraging terrorism. Medhurst claimed the Austrian police might have acted at the behest of their British colleagues. Last October, the UK police raided the London home of an associate editor of the pro-Palestinian Electronic Intifada website, Asa Winstanley, over ‘possible offenses’ related to his social media posts.
Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the UK, the EU, and several other Western nations banned RT and prohibited social media platforms from distributing its content, citing the need to combat ‘misinformation.’ Moscow has argued such actions demonstrate a lack of commitment to free speech and reflect a willingness to suppress narratives that challenge Western viewpoints.