This thesis is spread by the Russian propaganda media. They say that there is no freedom of speech in Europe, because Russian media are blocked there and “they do not allow the public to hear an alternative thought”. The reports also cited as an example the situation when EU High Representative Josep Borrell reacted to the arrest of Evan Gershkovich in Russia, saying that “journalists should have freedom of work and the right to be protected”. Propagandists are asking in their posts if Borrell is going to call for the release of journalist Julian Assange, who has been imprisoned in Britain for exposing US and NATO war crimes.

In fact, the message that there is no freedom of speech in EU countries, or in the US, is not new. Russian propaganda promotes it from time to time to establish the opinion that the local media should not be trusted, since they are all allegedly puppet, and promote the unified position of the governments of the countries. In such messages, propaganda uses the tactics of reflection: in fact, the lack of freedom of speech is precisely in Russia, where most media disseminate the position of the country's government and are of propaganda direction.

Analysts of the EU vs Disinfo project drew attention to the case in the network. In fact, comparing American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia on March 29 and charged with espionage, with Julian Assange is a typical Whataboutism technique, a rhetorical distraction. Evan Gershkovich is a WSJ journalist illegally detained in Russia. The EU condemned his detention, and the Secretary General of “Reporters without borders” called Gershkovich's detention an “institutional hostage-taking”. Julian Assange is the founder of Wikileaks, who has released numerous classified documents and is now being held in the UK.

According to “Reporters without borders”, Western countries have the most freedom of press and speech, with European countries predominating, as well as Canada and the United States. Russia, where authoritarian tendencies are on the rise, ranks 150 out of 180 in the press freedom ranking.