MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. The British intelligence service MI6, with its program to recruit Russians launched on the darknet, is deliberately encouraging people to commit serious crimes, and the BBC is just as guilty for promoting the initiative, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel.
Zakharova argued that the participation of the UK’s official media outlet in such a program constitutes "a crime against freedom of speech and conscience." She recalled that the initiative was publicly presented last week by MI6 Director Richard Moore and stressed that its primary aim is to establish contacts with Russian citizens through the darknet and persuade them to "cooperate" with British intelligence. According to her, BBC platforms were also used to promote the project.
"According to London, the program is intended to engage Russian citizens willing to provide information or cooperate with Britain. This initiative should have been given a simpler title: 'Where are you, traitors?' Under Russian law, such actions are considered treason – a particularly serious crime punishable by up to life imprisonment. The British are aware of this, yet they continue to push people into committing crimes," Zakharova remarked.
