RT Reporter Exits Network After ‘Misguided’ Praise of Stalin’s Gulags
RT America’s Washington correspondent Sameera Khan has left the network just days after tweeting out praise of Russian dictator Joseph Stalin’s gulags.
In a Twitter thread, Khan said that last Friday was her last day at the Russian state-owned media company and that her departure was planned weeks before her comments about the Soviet prison camps.
“As many of you may already know, I resigned from my position at RT a couple of weeks ago. Friday was my final day of work,” she said. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues in DC, London, and Moscow for their consistent support, guidance, and cooperation. It was an absolute privilege to work with such an outstanding group of people.”
“I submitted my resignation on September 30th — a week prior to that hilariously overblown tweet,” she added. “I am sure there will be many questions/concerns/conspiracy theories surrounding my resignation, and I plan to address them all.”
Also Read: RT Correspondent Faces Disciplinary Review After 'Misguided' Praise of Stalin's Gulags
As many of you may already know, I resigned from my position at RT a couple of weeks ago. Friday was my final day of work.
— Sameera Khan (@SameeraKhan) October 13, 2018
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues in DC, London, and Moscow for their consistent support, guidance, and cooperation. It was an absolute privilege to work with such an outstanding group of people.
– Sameera Khan (@SameeraKhan) October 13, 2018
Considering recent news reports, I am sure there will be many questions/concerns/conspiracy theories surrounding my resignation, and I plan to address them all.
– Sameera Khan (@SameeraKhan) October 13, 2018
I submitted my resignation on September 30th — a week prior to that hilariously overblown tweet.
– Sameera Khan (@SameeraKhan) October 13, 2018
Khan, a former Miss New Jersey, stirred internet outrage after sharing a pair of memes downplaying the atrocities of Stalin’s prisons of the 1930s through 1950s.
“Capitalists fooled you … again,” read the memes that go on to list a number of “facts,” including “Freedom of speech allowed,” “Education, music and theater for prisoners” and “Sentence revoked on good conduct.”
None of these things are true. In one meme shared by Khan, it attributed a bulleted list of claims to a “Source: Stalin haters won’t believe any source.”
RT’s Washington correspondent and former Miss New Jersey keeping it classy by white washing the gulag pic.twitter.com/YYLGWx2EgD
— Ian Bateson (@ianbateson) October 8, 2018
Also Read: Jeffrey Tambor Disappeared From 'Stalin' Movie Poster
Stalin’s murderous decades ruling the Soviet Union caused tens of millions of deaths, with many of them happening in his gulag prison network.
In a statement, Khan’s then-employer condemned the remarks and promised to investigate the issue and whether the tweets merited disciplinary action.
“RT strongly condemns the posts in question. Ms Kahn’s posts do not represent the network, and were uninformed and misguided. RT is conducting a disciplinary review related to the situation,” a spokesperson told TheWrap at the time.
It’s unclear whether that review was ever completed or why RT would launch an investigation into an employee that was already planning to leave the network. Khan did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap. An RT spokesperson would only would confirm that she had resigned and refused to answer any specific questions.
Khan herself ultimately backed away from her claims about Stalin, tweeting out an apology last week before briefly deactivating her account.
“I have just found out that the memes I shared re: Stalin’s gulags were inaccurate. My apologies to all those who were offended,” she said. “I also in no way intended to make light of the tragic mass persecutions they took place under the Stalin regime and I again apologize for sharing this misleading and offensive information.”
This might be the best tweet ever pic.twitter.com/zhMG6z2EEu
– Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) October 9, 2018
Read original story RT Reporter Exits Network After ‘Misguided’ Praise of Stalin’s Gulags At TheWrap
