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Sign at the Deutsche Welle office in Moscow
Photo: Vladimir Gerdo / picture alliance / dpa / TASS
The Broadcasting Council of the German foreign broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) is demanding that Russia return the accreditations for DW journalists that have been withdrawn.
According to the DW press release on Monday, the Chairman of the Broadcasting Council, Prelate Karl Jüsten, said: "What we are experiencing here is an unbelievable blow to press freedom."
He added: "We are calling on the Russian authorities to immediately reverse the withdrawal of accreditation for DW and the closure of the office."
The Deutsche Welle office in Moscow was closed on Friday after Russia had issued a ban on broadcasting the day before.
Employees had to hand in their accreditations.
Russia's step is a reaction to a broadcast ban by the German media regulators for the German-language TV program RT DE of the Russian state medium RT, which started in mid-December.
Last Wednesday, the media authorities cited the lack of a necessary broadcasting license as the reason.
In Germany, you need a broadcasting license for nationwide TV programs.
DW had a broadcasting license in Russia.
According to DW, the Russian Foreign Ministry, which is responsible for the accreditation of foreign journalists, invited the Moscow DW office manager to an appointment to discuss the next steps after the ordered closure.
According to the statement, DW director Peter Limbourg said: "We really hope that the Russian side will revise their completely exaggerated decision." to report.
"But the Russian side is also taking the opportunity to present their positions first-hand in our program," Limbourg emphasized.
kae/dpa