MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2019) Germany's domestic secret service BfV will be monitoring Sputnik and RT amid concerns that Russia may try to influence local and European elections this year, a German media group reported Thursday.
The decision was taken last Tuesday at a Potsdam meeting of intelligence officers and regional government officials who decided to set up an expert panel, the RND newspaper group said.
Germany fears that Russia may try to interfere with the election to the European parliament in May and in the states of Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony next fall.
The counter-intelligence agency is examining Kremlin's possible ties to far-right parties after three high-ranking members of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) traveled to Moscow in February 2017.
Russia has repeatedly refuted accusations of trying to meddle in electoral processes abroad. The United States has been conducting its own investigation into suspected collusion between Moscow and Donald Trump's campaign.
