Today, Belgian and French police conducted a series simultaneous searches at the offices of the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg.
As reported by Euronews, a search was also carried out at the house of an EP staff member in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek, because, as prosecutors said, there were “indications that the European Parliament staff member played a significant role in the Russian propaganda operation.”
The searches are part of a larger investigation into a Russian influence operation that paid members of the European Parliament to spread Kremlin propaganda from the center of the European institutions in Brussels.
The department also said that the raids were related to a case of “interference, passive corruption and membership in a criminal organization.”
The searches took place as part of an investigation into Voice of Europe, which was targeted by the European Union this month imposed sanctions for the spread of Kremlin propaganda.
Dutch EU MP Marcel de Graaff confirmed on the X network that the person in question is his parliamentary assistant Guillaume Pradour.
Marcel de Graaff's house was searched, reported the Dutch agency ANP.
"The European Parliament cooperates fully with law enforcement and judicial authorities to facilitate the administration of justice, and will continue to do so. It was in this context that access to the office was granted,” said a representative of the European Parliament.
Prepared by: Nina Petrovich