Brussels: Europe and the Arabs 
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security Committee of the Czech Senate, Senator Pavel Fischer, said that Russia's influence and disinformation campaigns in the European Union pose a major threat to the integrity of the upcoming European Parliament elections.
These statements come in the wake of the recent revelations about the activities of the Voice of Europe media company, which broadcast Russian propaganda in the European Union and was recently placed on the EU sanctions list.
According to the commission, Russian interference not only jeopardizes freedom of decision-making, but also constitutes an unacceptable violation of the rights of European citizens, as Czech media reported.
Speaking about Voice of Europe, Fischer said that this media company tried to influence public debate in the Czech Republic and other EU countries with money from the Russian Federation, worked against the interests of the Czech Republic and systematically spread Russian propaganda. He explained that the committee received information about Voice of Europe directly from the Czech Security Information Service during a closed session
The committee expressed concern about Slovakia's decision to grant international protection to Artem Marchevski, a pro-Russian politician and media mogul behind Voice of Europe. Fischer explained that Artem Marchevsky's actions were directed against the interests of the Czech Republic in security matters.
At the end of last March, the Czech government added Marchevski to the sanctions list, along with Voice of Europe and businessman Viktor Medvedchuk. Then Prime Minister Peter Fiala (Civic Democratic Party, Christian Democrats/European Conservatives and Reformists) announced that Medvedchuk, with the help of Marchevsky, had coordinated several influence networks from Russia through the media. The government also accused the two men of spreading disinformation and bribing European politicians, but Marchevski denied the allegations and opposed sanctions.
The Senate committee also discussed the ongoing investigation into the explosion of an ammunition depot in Vrbitice in 2014. Investigators attribute the attack, which led to the deaths of two Czech citizens, to two officers in Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU, who allegedly sought to disrupt munitions shipments to areas where Russia is conducting military operations.