In accordance with law amendments, Latvian National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) has decided to shut down broadcasts of all 80 remaining Russia-based television channels in Latvia.
NEPLP chairman Ivars Āboliņš reported that the decision was made based on the new redaction of the law, which provides for a prohibition of all programmes registered in a country that puts at risk other countries’ territorial integrity and independence.
This decision will remain in force until Russia has ceased its attack on Ukraine and has returned Crimea. The decision will come to force on 9 June.
Among the banned TV channels are E TV, Иллюзион+, Кино24, Мир ТВ, Охота и рыбалка, Перец!, Русский Иллюзион and others.
NEPLP had previously made a number of decsions to shut down broadcasts of Kremlin’s main propaganda channels and internet websites in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Following this decision, it will no longer be allowed to broadcast any Russia-based television channels.
As previously reported, Latvia’s Saeima has passed in the final reading amendments to the Electronic Mass Media Law, which provide NEPLP the right to limit broadcasts of foreign programmes from countries that put at risk other countries’ sovereignty.
This right allows the council to restrict in Latvia the broadcasts of audio-visual programmes and on-demand services of countries that put at risk territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of other countries.
«These changes dictate that television channels of countries that are not part of the European Union, European Economic Zone, North Atlantic Treaty or Convention on Transfrontier Television, as well as countries that put at risk other countries’ territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence will no longer be available in Latvia,» explains chairman of Latvian Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee Artuss Kaimiņš.
Broadcasts of such programmes in Latvia is in breach of the country’s national interests and does no meet the policy of electronic mass media resources, as well as negatively influences Latvia’s information space, according to the annotation to the passed amendments.
Latvia tightened protection of its information space ever since the start of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.