Embassy of Russia in Germany will demand an apology from the leadership of Focus magazine, which had published “offensive statements” about President Vladimir Putin, said the head of the press service of the Russian Embassy in Germany Denis Mikerin on his page in Facebook.
“There are red lines. Today much can be done in the media, more and more “acceptable” than it was 20 years ago. But some things have no relation to the freedom of speech or freedom of the media and should not be to say goodbye,” wrote the Ambassador.
To post the attached photo of the article from the journal Focus on German Chancellor Angela Merkel noted saying: “of Course she is afraid of dogs, Putin, but she’s definitely not afraid of dogs, Putin” (Sie hat zwar Angst vor Putins Hund, aber keine Angst vom Hund Putin). Material published in N37 for 2017. The pun about the dog of Putin, in large print.
“I hope that the offensive remarks addressed to the President of Russia is nothing like an unfortunate linguistic exercise of the journalist, which, incidentally, was printed,” said Mikerin.
We are talking about the case, about which Putin spoke in an interview with Bild in 2016: in 2007, his Labrador Koni came into the room where the negotiations were held with Merkel, and the Chancellor was afraid of the dog. Putin said that he wanted to show her my dog, “I then explained to her and apologized for it,” he said, statingthat if he did not know about phobias Chancellor.
For 10 years before Merkel during Cycling was attacked by a neighbor’s dog fighting breed, and since then she became afraid of dogs. The tabloid Bild reported that in fact, Putin knew about this a year before the meeting: Putin’s advisers have been informed about it before the official joining Merkel for the position of Federal Chancellor in January 2006.
The Embassy expressed hope that the main Focus editor Robert Schneider “has enough life and professional experience and clearly understands where the red lines of journalistic ethics to find the opportunity (and courage, of course) to apologize for such an obvious mistake edition”.
This record was liked by the official representative of Russian foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova and official page of the Embassy of Russia in Germany. “The magazine Focus, it seems, believes this is provocative. Is it really so? No. Tasteless and stupid? Exactly. But think about it the head of the press Department?” reads Twitter of the Russian Embassy in Germany.
Dem #FOCUS provozierend scheint es zu sein. Ist es? Nein. Abgeschmackt und doof? Ganz bestimmt. Was meint aber @RegSprecher? pic.twitter.com/tEF5fveLoa
— Botschaft Russlands (@RusBotschaft) September 12, 2017
Denis Mikerin stated to RBCthat he hoped soon to see the reaction of Focus. “I would like to hear a prompt response. How conscience they are enough,” he said. According to him, he is not addressed directly to the editors Focus on the article, although previously the Embassy had already been contacts with the magazine.
“Today actively involved in the social network, so it can be considered a direct appeal. It’s one thing when there is some assessment of political leaders, but we are not willing to suffer the humiliation expressed in the article. I hope that the editors will show common sense and political will, and therefore will Express its position. But that position, in addition to an apology for the insults, it’s hard to imagine,” – said the diplomat.
It is noteworthy that the RIA of “news” has translated the expression “red line” (Rote Linien), indicating some restricted areas, which, in the opinion of the Russian diplomat must exist in the media as “double line”, sending to the decoding of the RBC staff meeting with the new leadership of Elizabeth Golikova and Igor Trostnikova in July 2016 posted by Meduza. The term “double solid” was given as a metaphor of the censorship ban, which members of the media must themselves comply with.
Putin’s Labrador died in 2014. Since the President is scared by another dog, obtained in June 2012 as a gift from the authorities of the Japanese Prefecture of Akita. In December 2016, Putin showed Japanese reporters your dog breed Akita inu. The journalists said that they were “very happy to see Yume happy and cheerful,” but “a little surprised and scared that the beginning of the meeting will be that.” “That’s right scared because she’s strict dog. A lot of people here, the camera work, the lights are shining, the cameras roll and it performs security functions,” – said the Russian President.