Belgium Probing Russian 'interference' In European Parliament: PM

Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2024) Belgian prosecutors have opened a probe into Russian "interference" in the European Parliament following allegations lawmakers were paid to spread Kremlin propaganda, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Friday.

"Our judicial authorities have now confirmed this interference is subject to prosecution," De Croo said.

"The cash payments did not take place in Belgium, but the interference does. As Belgium is the seat of the EU institutions, we have a responsibility to uphold every citizen's right to a free and safe vote."

He said a summit of EU leaders next week would discuss the allegations which have been raised just ahead of bloc-wide elections in June to choose a new parliament.

De Croo said Moscow's "clear" objectives were to "help elect more pro-Russian candidates to the European Parliament and reinforce the pro-Russian narrative in that institution".

A spokesperson for Belgium's prosecutors' office confirmed to AFP that a probe was started on Thursday.

The Czech Republic last month said its intelligence service had discovered a network that used EU lawmakers to spread Russian propaganda through the Prague-based Voice of Europe news site.

Belgium says its own services have determined that some of the lawmakers had been paid to promote Moscow's propaganda.

"If there would be a type of bribery -- and our services indicate that payments have taken place -- while you need two sides for that to happen, you have people who organise it, but you also have people to receive it," De Croo said.