Moscow has declared the German international media outlet Deutsche Welle (DW) an "undesirable organization", effectively banning its operations in the country, DPA reported.
The measure follows a recommendation from the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, "Deutsche Welle" announced today.
A statement from the Russian government, published on "Telegram" yesterday, states that the Prosecutor General's Office now considers the media outlet a "leader in anti-Russian propaganda". The prosecutor's office has not issued a separate statement.
The Director General of "Deutsche Welle" Barbara Massing criticizes the Russian judiciary's increasing crackdown on free media.
"Russia may declare us an undesirable organization, but that will not stop us. The latest attempt to silence the free press highlights the Russian regime's blatant disregard for press freedom and reveals its fear of independent information," Massing said in a statement. "Despite censorship and blocking of our services by the Russian government, "Deutsche Welle" Russian-language services are reaching more people than ever. We will continue to report independently - the war in Ukraine and the aggression against it, and other topics about which there is little information in Russia. So that people can form their own opinions," Massing said.
Russia has targeted "Deutsche Welle" for years, revoking its accreditation and banning it from broadcasting in February 2022. In the Russian Federation, the television station's website is blocked, and in March 2022 the media outlet was included in the list of "foreign agents".
The new definition further limits the German media outlet's options, as cooperation with an "undesirable organization" can lead to fines or imprisonment.
"This means that Russian employees of "Deutsche Welle" are particularly affected," added Masing.