Russia blocks 81 EU media outlets in reciprocal move

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published last year

MOSCOW—In response to the European Union's decision on May 17 to ban "any broadcasting activities" by three Russian media outlets (RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta), which takes effect from June 25, Russia has introduced reciprocal restrictions on access to broadcasting resources of more than 80 EU member state media and pan-European media operators that Russia says consistently disseminate false information about the special military operation.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (picture) said that it had repeatedly warned at various levels that politically motivated repression of domestic journalists and unfounded bans on Russian media in the EU would not go unanswered. Despite these warnings, Brussels and the capitals of EU member states have escalated the situation by enforcing another illegitimate ban, prompting Moscow to take mirrored and proportional countermeasures. The responsibility for this development lies solely with the EU leadership and the countries that supported this decision.

If the restrictions against Russian media are lifted, the Russian side will also reconsider its decision regarding the mentioned media operators, the ministry said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) strongly condemned the Russian foreign ministry's Tuesday decision to block access to 81 European media outlets in Russia in response to the EU's recent ban on four pro-Kremlin media outlets.

"Russian authorities' blocking of 81 European media outlets betrays their deep-seated fear of truthful reporting," said Gulnoza Said, CPJ's Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, in New York. "Moscow must immediately stop restricting Russians' access to information and cease its attempts to stifle the flow of news that deviates from the official line."

List of EU member state media and Pan-European media operators subject to Russian broadcasting and access restrictions

Austria

1. ORF (orf.at)
2. Mediengruppe Osterreich (oe24.at)

Belgium
3. Le Vif (levif.be)
4. Knack (knack.be)

Bulgaria
5. Mediapool (Mediapool.bg)
6. 24 Chasa (24chasa.bg)

Hungary
7. 444.hu (444.hu)

Germany
8. Der Spiegel (spiegel.de)
9. Die Zeit (zeit.de)
10. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (faz.net)

Greece
11. ERT (ert.gr, ertnews.gr)
12. Skai (skai.gr)
13. Mega TV (Megatv.com)
14. Proto Thema (protothema.gr)

Denmark
15. Berlingske (berlingske.dk)
16. Information (information.dk)

Ireland
17. RTE (rte.ie)
18. The Irish Times (irishtimes.com)
19. The Irish Independent (independent.ie)

Spain
20. El Mundo (elmundo.es)
21. El Pais (elpais.com)
22. EFE (efe.com)
23. Television Espanola (rtve.es)

Italy
24. LA7 (la7.it)
25. La Stampa (lastampa.it)
26. La Repubblica (repubblica.it)
27. RAI (rai.it, rainews.it)

Cyprus
28. Politis (politis.com.cy)
29. Cyprus Times (cyprustimes.com)
30. Cyprus Mail (cyprus-mail.com)

Latvia
31. Latvian Television and Latvian Radio 4 (lsm.lv)
32. apollo.lv (apollo.lv)
33. tvnet.lv (tvnet.lv)
34. Diena (diena.lv)

Lithuania
35. LRT (lrt.lt)
36. 15min.lt (15min.lt)
37. lrytas.lt (lrytas.lt)

Malta
38. TVM (tvmnews.mt)
39. Times of Malta (timesofmalta.com)
40. The Malta Independent (independent.com.mt)
41. Malta Today (maltatoday.com.mt)

Netherlands
42. NOS (nos.nl)
43. NRC (nrc.nl)
44. Algemeen Dagblad (ad.nl)

Poland
45. Belsat (belsat.eu, belsat.pl)
46. New Poland (novayapolsha.eu, novayapolsha.com, novayapolsha.pl)

Portugal
47. RTP Internacional (rtp.pt)
48. Publico (publico.pt)
49. Expresso (expresso.pt)
50. Observador (observador.pt)

Romania
51. Pro TV International (stirileprotv.ro, protv.ro)
52. Digi24 (digi24.ro)
53. B1TV (b1tv.ro)

Slovakia
54. SME (sme.sk)
55. Dennik N (dennikn.sk)

Slovenia
56. Nova24 (Nova24.si, Nova24tv.si)
57. Demokracija (Demokracija.si, Demokracija.eu)

Finland
58. Ilta-Sanomat (is.fi)
59. Iltalehti (iltalehti.fi)
60. Helsingin Sanomat (hs.fi)
61. Yleisradio (yle.fi)

France
62. LCI (tf1info.fr)
63. Le Monde (lemonde.fr)
64. La Croix (la-croix.com)
65. Liberation (liberation.fr)
66. Lexpress (lexpress.fr)
67. Radio France (radiofrance.fr)
68. Agence France-Presse (afp.com, afpforum.com)
69. CNews (cnews.fr)
70. Arte (arte.tv)

Czech Republic
71. Ceska Televize (ceskatelevize.cz)
72. Seznam Zpravy (seznamzpravy.cz)

Sweden
73. SVT (svt.se)
74. Sveriges Radio (sverigesradio.se)

Estonia
75. propastop.org (propastop.org)
76. ERR (err.ee)
77. Delfi (delfi.ee)

Pan-European Media
78. Agence Europe (agenceurope.eu)
79. Politico (politico.eu, politico.com)
80. Svoboda Satellite Package (rsf.org)
81. Euobserver (Euobserver.com)

Photo: Reuters