EU court upholds broadcast ban on RT

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eu court upholds broadcast ban on rt.webp.webp
eu court upholds broadcast ban on rt.webp.webp

RT is still not allowed to distribute its programs in the EU. This was decided by the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg.

The ban on broadcasting RT – formerly Russia Today – in the EU is legal. This was decided by the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg. RT France, which challenged the European Council regulation of March 1, 2022, which banned the broadcaster from operating in the EU, saw its rights to freedom of expression and information violated, among other things.

The court did not accept this objection, especially since the EU Council was concerned with stopping propaganda intended to justify aggression against Ukraine and which was directed against civil society in the EU and neighboring countries. In the propaganda, facts have been severely distorted and manipulated by media outlets directly or indirectly controlled by the Russian government.

RT had also argued that the EU Council had not been sufficiently consulted. In addition, the court found that the outbreak of war on the borders of the EU was an exceptional context. The war was initially perceived by the EU as a short conflict and required a quick response. The court writes that this was essential in order to achieve the goals pursued.

On February 27, 2022, three days after Russia attacked Ukraine, the EU Commission decided to ban the broadcasting of programs by Russian state media in the EU. As a result, on March 1, the EU Council amended its 2014 “Decision on restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions that are destabilizing the situation in Ukraine”. A passage was added, according to which the broadcasting licenses and transmission rights of RT France, English , UK, Germany and Spanish as well as Sputnik.

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RT DE had been banned from broadcasting by the German media authorities in February due to a missing broadcasting license.


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