Status: 06.12.2022 4:25 p.m
The opposition Russian TV channel Dozhd loses its broadcasting license in Latvia. The reason for this are several violations of Latvian media law. Among other things, the Crimean peninsula was shown as part of Russia.
The Russian opposition channel Dozhd, also known as TV Rain, loses its broadcasting license in Latvia. This was announced by the Latvian National Council for Electronic Mass Media (NEPLP). NEPLP chairman Ivars Abolins cited numerous violations of Latvian law by the broadcaster as the reason. The license was only granted in June 2022.
A few days ago, the Doschd correspondent Aleksey Korostelev made an appeal for support from Russian soldiers in the current program: he asked for equipment to be sent to “our army”.
According to various reports, the equipment situation of the Russian army is poor, there is even a lack of food and sleeping bags. Dozhd editor-in-chief Tikhon Dsjadko later apologized for the call, and Korostelev was fired.
A few days ago, Dozhd was targeted by the NEPLP: the Crimean Peninsula as part of Russia was visible on a map. The opposition broadcaster now has to pay a fine of 10,000 euros for this. The broadcaster has also already received penalties for the insufficient translation of its content into Latvian.
It should continue on YouTube
As of Thursday, Dozhd will no longer be able to broadcast its program on Latvian television. According to the decision of the NEPLP, access to YouTube should no longer be possible with the help of a location block from Latvia. Outside of Latvia, however, the station should continue to be streamable on YouTube, which the station also wants to use to continue to provide information uncensored by Russia for Russian-speaking people. Doschd himself calls the allegations “unfair and absurd” in a tweet.
The Kremlin scoffs
The withdrawal of the license plays into the hands of the Kremlin. Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov sees the broadcast ban as an “impressive example of the incorrectness” of the illusion that reporters are better off abroad than in Russia.
In Russia, the independent broadcaster was classified as a “foreign agent” by the authorities in 2021. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, he stopped working in Russia after the authorities there threatened to shut him down.