Complaint
The programme included an interview with a Russian opposition politician who had recently criticised the invasion of Ukraine on Russian state television. A listener complained that the presenter had attempted to harass him into an admission that he feared for his life as a consequence, thus demonstrating anti-Russian bias. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
In the ECU’s judgement, the presenter’s questioning was a responsible effort to explore a highly sensitive area with a seasoned political figure who was well able to answer in his own terms, and there were no grounds for inferring anti-Russian bias on the presenter’s part.
Not upheld