The Time Machine of Russian Propaganda

Yesterday a number of Russian media outlets spread information according to which more than 1100 people were detained in the US on charges of forcing minors to prostitution. This information is really true but it dates back to 2015.

On June 22, 2015, the US Department of Justice had informed that as a result of more than 70 thousand investigative operations by law enforcement authorities, 1140 child predators from 41 states were arrested on charges of different types of sexual harassment against minors.

We will try to understand why Kremlin websites presented “outdated” information to their readers.

The point is that in 2012 the Russian State Duma adopted a law according to which the US citizens were no longer allowed to adopt children from Russia. The law caused a massive wave of discontent. In January of this year, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) described this law as a violation of human rights. The Court also obliged the Russian Government to pay 3000 EUR to all the 45 plaintiffs as compensation.

However, the Russian government did not accept the decision and lodged a complaint with the request to cancel it. The issue of accepting or rejecting the complaint will be discussed in the near future, on July 3.

Thus, media outlets close to Kremlin publish a 2-year-old news story, and then they give a “cursory” reminder that in the coming days, the ECHR is due adopt a decision regarding the complaint filed by Russian authorities related to an already lost case.

Such news stories were published by Vz.ru Gazeta.ru, Rosbalt.ru, Tsargrad.tv , as well as Armenian Iravunk.am news website.

It is worth reminding that recently the RA law on Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence also appeared at the target of Russian propaganda, as a result of which it was called back.

Rafael Afrikyan