In Latvia, the license of “Rain” was canceled due to a threat to state security

The National Electronic Media Council of Latvia has decided to revoke the broadcasting license of the Dozhd TV channel (included in the register of media-foreign agents). The decision was made in the interests of “state security and public order.” The channel’s management has not yet commented on the situation.

“Assessing the totality of violations, NEPLP is convinced that the leadership of Dozhd does not understand and is not aware of the significance and seriousness of the violations, and therefore cannot act on the territory of Latvia,” said the head of the council, Ivars Abolins.

“Rain” should stop broadcasting in the country on the night of December 8. Ivars Āboliņš also claims that the authorities are planning to block the broadcasting of the TV channel on the YouTube video service in the country.

On March 1, the Dozhd TV channel was blocked in Russia by decision of Roskomnadzor. The Prosecutor General’s Office called the TV channel a threat to the constitutional order of Russia. On March 3, the management of Dozhd announced the termination of work in Russia. June 6 TV channel received license to broadcast in Latvia.

On December 1, on the air of Dozhd, host Alexei Korostelev said a phrase about helping the Russian military. He read out a request to send information about violations against the mobilized to the editorial office’s e-mail, so that journalists could talk about it. “We hope that many military personnel, including us, were able to help, for example, with equipment and with simple basic amenities at the front,” Mr. Korostelev added.

Later channel guide fired he was reminded that the channel had always opposed Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. Despite this, an administrative case was opened against the TV channel, NEPLP also fined the media for €10,000 for demonstrating on the air the image of Crimea as part of Russia and calling the Russian army “our army”. The NEPLP also stated that this was the second serious violation of the “Rain”, the third would have threatened the revocation of the license. On the same day, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks declared on the start of the process to revoke the residence permit for the TV channel’s employees.

Dozhd’s studio in Latvia is located in Riga. The channel also has studios in Tbilisi (Georgia) and Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Olesya Pavlenko