Russia has ordered the closure of the Deutsche Welle's Moscow bureau. The company's work permits are also being revoked in the country. Moscow announced the move in response to Berlin's ban on Russia's state-run TV channel RT DE. News AFP.
The German government and Deutsche Welle called Russia's move "unacceptable." Peter Limbua, head of Deutsche Welle, said: "This order is an irrational response from the Russian government. Even if we finally shut down its operations, it does not mean that we will not be able to publish a report on Russia. Instead, we will do more. "
The German government says the move is unacceptable. There is no way to compare this with the ban that Berlin has imposed on the RT TV network. "I urge Russia, as a matter of urgency, not to use the RT license issue as a political response," said Claudia Roth, Germany's culture minister.
Moscow has announced the closure of Deutsche Welle's bureau amid tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine issue. Tensions are running high over fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The move is a sign of the Kremlin's continued hostility to foreign media, the AFP report said.
A statement from Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that Deutsche Welle's satellite and other broadcast systems would be cut off from Russian territory. The statement added that the process of declaring the German broadcaster a "foreign agent" had begun. Russian authorities have warned of further steps in the future.
Last Wednesday, Germany's Broadcasting Corporation suspended the broadcasting of Russia's RTD channel, citing a lack of licenses. In response, Deutsche Welle's Moscow office was ordered closed on Thursday. Jury Reschetto, head of Deutsche Welle's Moscow bureau, told AFP the office had been ordered closed until Friday morning. "We are shocked," he wrote in a statement on the media's website.
Meanwhile, Russian officials and pro-Kremlin media have welcomed the move. Russian Senator Andrei Klimov called Moscow's response "enough."
It is to be noted that on December 22, at the request of the German authorities, the German language branch of RT, RT DE, was shut down from the European satellite network. It closed a week after the broadcast began. However, it is still seen on the Internet and mobile phone apps.
The RTD authorities claim that their broadcasting activities are conducted from Moscow and that they have a Serbian broadcasting license. Under European law, they claim to have the right to broadcast in Germany under that license.
The German government says the move is unacceptable. There is no way to compare this with the ban that Berlin has imposed on the RT TV network. "I urge Russia, as a matter of urgency, not to use the RT license issue as a political response," said Claudia Roth, Germany's culture minister.
Moscow has announced the closure of Deutsche Welle's bureau amid tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine issue. Tensions are running high over fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The move is a sign of the Kremlin's continued hostility to foreign media, the AFP report said.
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