Russia’s blocking of 81 EU media outlets in retaliation for the ban on Russian media outlets sparked reactions after the invasion of Ukraine.
France today denounced “the policy of violating press freedom and intimidating journalists working in the service of independent information”, two days after Moscow’s decision.
“France condemns the decision taken by Russia to ban the broadcasts of dozens of European media outlets in Russia,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“This unjustified decision will not allow the reality of Russia’s illegal and aggressive war in Ukraine to be hidden,” adds French diplomats.
Which Greek media outlets are included?
Moscow announced yesterday, Tuesday, that it was blocking access on its territory to the services of 81 European media outlets, including the Agence France-Presse (AFP) website, the German Der Spiegel, the Spanish El Mundo and the El Pais, the Italian public broadcasting network RAI, but also the Greek websites of ERT, SKAI, MEGATV, protothema.gr, in “retaliation” for the decision taken in May by the EU to ban four Russian state media outlets.
The EU 27 agreed in mid-May to impose sanctions on four Russian media outlets – Voice of Europe, Ria Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiiskaia Gazeta – accused by Brussels of spreading Kremlin propaganda.
In its statement, Paris denies “any correspondence between disinformation and state propaganda and independent media”.
Sources: APE-MPE, AFP