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dpa
Moscow
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced a ban on German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) on Thursday, effectively ending the organization’s work in Russia, closing its Moscow bureau and revoking the accreditation of its journalists.
Deutsche Welle pledged to lodge a legal challenge against the move and said it would continue its coverage undeterred.
“The measures of the Russian authorities are in no way comprehensible and a complete overreaction,” said Peter Limbourg, director general of the German taxpayer-funded news broadcaster.
He said the Russian decision turned Deutsche Welle into “a pawn” in a way typical of autocratic states.
“We protest fully against this absurd reaction of the Russian government and will take legal action against the announced measures,” Limbourg added.
The broadcaster vowed to continue its work from the Moscow bureau until it was formally informed of the measures beyond the ministry’s announcement.
“Even if we eventually have to close it down, this would not affect our coverage of Russia. On the contrary, we would significantly strengthen coverage,” the DW boss said.
Moscow’s move came in swift retaliation for a decision on Wednesday by the Commission for Licensing and Supervision (ZAK), the agency responsible for regulating media outlets in Germany, banning Russian state-owned TV channel RT DE from broadcasting in the country due to its lack of a licence.
RT - formerly Russia Today - broadcasts internationally in six languages and claims that its German-language programming contributes to the diversity of opinion in Europe. Critics meanwhile accuse RT of being a Kremlin mouthpiece used to disseminate propaganda and disinformation.
“The situation is perfectly clear: a Russian media outlet, I would even say an international media outlet, has been banned from broadcasting in Germany. This is nothing less than an attack on freedom of speech,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, according to the Interfax news agency.
Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova had earlier in the day criticized the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for its silence following the German regulator’s decision, accusing it of failing to stand up for media freedom.
At a meeting with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow in January, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed that all state broadcasting is banned in Germany due to the central role the state media played under Nazism.
Moscow
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced a ban on German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) on Thursday, effectively ending the organization’s work in Russia, closing its Moscow bureau and revoking the accreditation of its journalists.
Deutsche Welle pledged to lodge a legal challenge against the move and said it would continue its coverage undeterred.
“The measures of the Russian authorities are in no way comprehensible and a complete overreaction,” said Peter Limbourg, director general of the German taxpayer-funded news broadcaster.
He said the Russian decision turned Deutsche Welle into “a pawn” in a way typical of autocratic states.
“We protest fully against this absurd reaction of the Russian government and will take legal action against the announced measures,” Limbourg added.
The broadcaster vowed to continue its work from the Moscow bureau until it was formally informed of the measures beyond the ministry’s announcement.
“Even if we eventually have to close it down, this would not affect our coverage of Russia. On the contrary, we would significantly strengthen coverage,” the DW boss said.
Moscow’s move came in swift retaliation for a decision on Wednesday by the Commission for Licensing and Supervision (ZAK), the agency responsible for regulating media outlets in Germany, banning Russian state-owned TV channel RT DE from broadcasting in the country due to its lack of a licence.
RT - formerly Russia Today - broadcasts internationally in six languages and claims that its German-language programming contributes to the diversity of opinion in Europe. Critics meanwhile accuse RT of being a Kremlin mouthpiece used to disseminate propaganda and disinformation.
“The situation is perfectly clear: a Russian media outlet, I would even say an international media outlet, has been banned from broadcasting in Germany. This is nothing less than an attack on freedom of speech,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, according to the Interfax news agency.
Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova had earlier in the day criticized the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for its silence following the German regulator’s decision, accusing it of failing to stand up for media freedom.
At a meeting with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow in January, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed that all state broadcasting is banned in Germany due to the central role the state media played under Nazism.
