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Embassy slams Latvia’s ban on Russian TV channels as censorship

Latvia’s National Electronic Mass Media Council on Wednesday announced a decision to suspend broadcast of nine Russian TV channels, explaining that their beneficiary was Yuri Kovalchuk, who is under EU sanctions

Russia’s embassy in Riga Maria Shvachko/TASS

Russia’s embassy in Riga

© Maria Shvachko/TASS

RIGA, November 21. /TASS/. Russia’s embassy in Riga has dismissed as heavy censorship Latvia’s National Electronic Mass Media Council’s decision to stop broadcast of nine Russian-language TV channels in the republic.

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"A decision to ban broadcast of nine Russian TV channels in Latvia is another sign of the Latvian-style ‘freedom of speech.’ Amid uncompromising struggle against dissidence, which is becoming more sophisticated, Latvia’s authorities don’t hesitate to use heavy censorship, blocking undesirable media outlets under far-fetched pretexts. Unfortunately, this blatant disrespect for democratic principles is becoming normal here," the embassy said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

Latvia’s National Electronic Mass Media Council on Wednesday announced a decision to suspend broadcast of nine Russian TV channels, explaining that their beneficiary was Yuri Kovalchuk, who is under EU sanctions. Among the banned TV channels are ‘Vremya: dalekoye i blizkoye’, ‘Bober’, ‘Dom Kino’, ‘Dom Kino PREMIUM’, ‘Muzika Pervogo’, ‘O!’, ‘Poyekhali’, ‘TELECAFE’ and ‘Petersburg - Channel 5.’

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