Ukraine "Misunderstanding"?

Latvia seals the end for broadcasters critical of Putin – Kremlin mocks

Created: 06/12/2022, 15:52

By: Luke Rogalla

An oppositional Russian TV station is no longer allowed to continue working in Latvia: the Media Council sees a "threat to national security".

Riga - Latvia has revoked the broadcasting license of the independent Russian TV channel Dozhd.

The National Council for Electronic Mass Media (NEPLP) announced on Tuesday that the move was "related to threats to national security and public order".

The station had made a name for itself through its criticism of the Kremlin and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

But it was his reporting on the Ukraine war that became Doschd's undoing.

Russia's last free broadcaster: Latvia revokes Dozhd's license

At the end of last week, the NEPLP initiated proceedings against Doschd.

The reason was the broadcast of an appeal to support the Russian army.

The moderator expressed the hope that the station had been able to help many soldiers with equipment and basic equipment.

Dozhd editor-in-chief Tikhon Dzyadko then apologized on Twitter, claiming that the station was not helping the Russian army.

It was a misunderstanding.

Rather, they collect information about Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

According to the broadcaster, the moderator had been fired.

Natalia Sindeyeva, founder of Dozhd.

Latvia has now withdrawn the license from the Russian TV station.

(Archive photo) © Sergei Chirikov/dpa

The NEPLP had already imposed a fine of 10,000 euros on Doschd, also known as TV Rain, at the beginning of December because a map was shown on which Crimea, which had been illegally annexed under international law, is part of Russia.

"The NEPLP believes that TV Rain's management fails to understand and recognize the nature and seriousness of each individual violation as well as the aggregate of violations," tweeted NEPLP CEO Ivars Abolins.

Doschd loses broadcasting license in Latvia: Reporters Without Borders had warned

The organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) had appealed not to revoke Doschd's license.

It is one of the few independent channels with Russian journalists that broadcasts to a Russian-speaking audience, said RSF's Jeanne Cavelier.

Doschd can be criticized for his crimes, but "a license withdrawal would be a serious blow to press freedom, independence and pluralism".

Doschd will now have to stop broadcasting his program on Thursday night, the NEPLP announced.

Latvia only granted the station a broadcasting license in June.

In the course of the Russian authorities' crackdown on the media, broadcasting in Russia had been stopped.

There are many Russian journalists working in Latvia who are no longer able to work in their homeland due to severe restrictions.

Broadcasting ban for Doschd in Latvia: Kremlin reacts with ridicule

Moscow has already reacted to the ban on broadcasting: According to the Interfax news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said mockingly that many people seem to be better off abroad than at home.

There, in contrast to their homeland, they believed they were free.

"This is a striking example of the incorrectness of such illusions," said Peskow.

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Doschd now announces on Twitter that he wants to work on YouTube in the future.

The broadcaster called the allegations “unfair” and “absurd”.

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