University hit by Russian rumours about student expulsions

European universities have been the target of a Russian disinformation campaign claiming that they are expelling Russian students in a wave of Russophobia. Charles University in Prague this week categorically denied claims that it was expelling or discriminating against Russian students in response to the war in Ukraine, reports Radio Prague International.

The Kremlin propaganda machine has been putting out reports about Russian students being “unreasonably expelled from educational institutions, not allowed to attend classes, and morally persecuted” in an example of “racial discrimination”. They claim that Russia is taking “unprecedented measures to protect the rights of Russian students who are being expelled from universities in France, the Czech Republic, Belgium and other European countries due to the situation in Ukraine”.

This week the rumours were fuelled by a report on Russian state television Russia Today about a Russian student named Liza, who had allegedly been expelled by Charles University. The report is now circulating on the internet and has been viewed by tens of thousands of people. According to the Russian Education Ministry, more than 1,200 Russians studying abroad have reportedly requested a transfer to universities in their homeland. Most of them are from the Czech Republic and Ukraine, followed by Poland, Britain and the United States.
Full report on the Radio Prague International site