CNN vs Trump: Follow case closely, Russia tells its journalists based in US

Moscow, Nov 14: As the CNN battles it out against US President Donald Trump over the barring of its White House correspondent Jim Acosta because he confronted the president on immigration rhetoric, Russia is closely watching the outcome and even feeling encouraged.

According to a report in Russia's TASS news agency, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a Facebook post that the lawsuit that the CNN filed against Trump could be a helpful precedent for the Russian journalists who may also find themselves in a similar situation.

"Great! I advise Russian journalists, who are working in the United States, to closely follow the fate of this lawsuit. The precedent may prove to be quite useful if some of them are denied accreditation, despite meeting all formal requirements. Or, if their questions are left unanswered," she said.

The case will he heard in a court in Washington DC after the channel sued Trump and several of his aides over barring Acosta's White House access following the spat. The senior journalist was also accused by the administration of trying to put his hand on a female intern who tried to take the microphone away from him while he was in the middle of a heated conversation with the president.

The CNN took the legal step seeking immediate restoration of Acosta's access and also a ruling from the court against such tendency in the future. Trump is known to have a sour relation with mainstream media and November 7's incident was a culmination of it.