Russian fury after EU court upholds RT ban

The Kremlin on Wednesday vowed to further restrict Western media in Russia after the EU’s top court upheld European sanctions that had grounded Moscow’s RT channel across the continent.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg has dismissed an appeal by state broadcaster RT France against a broadcast ban imposed under EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.

When the channel found that the channel “actively supported” Moscow’s destabilization of Ukraine and broadcast war propaganda, the court concluded that the EU’s decision was lawful and proportionate.

“In light of these considerations, the court dismisses the action in its entirety,” the judges ruled, citing RT France’s request to have the broadcast ban and restrictions on its website lifted.

The station immediately announced an appeal, while the Kremlin said it would take retaliatory action.

“Of course we will apply similar pressure to Western media outlets operating in our country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

“We won’t let them work in our country either,” he said, describing the Kremlin’s reaction to the ban as “extremely negative.”

“Essentially, RT has been blocked and cannot operate in Europe,” Peskov said. “Europeans are trampling on their own ideals.”

Since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24, Russian lawmakers have enacted draconian new laws restricting media freedom, under which criticism of the war and the occupation can carry lengthy prison terms.

Many foreign journalists have left Russia and a number of foreign media outlets have suspended their activities in the country after the authorities handed down prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading “fake news” about the Russian army.

The EU’s decision to ban RT, as well as the Kremlin-funded online news service Sputnik, raised questions about freedom of expression in the 27-strong bloc and was part of RT France’s appeal.

However, the ECJ’s judges concluded that the sanction was temporary – until July 2022 – and found that given the “extraordinary context” it was “appropriate and necessary for the objectives pursued”.

“RT France actively supported … the Russian Federation’s policy of destabilization and aggression towards Ukraine, which ultimately led to a large-scale military offensive,” the court statement said.

Second, “RT France notably broadcast information that justified military aggression against Ukraine and could pose a significant and direct threat to the public order and security of the Union,” she continued.

The evidence presented to the RT France court was “unable to demonstrate an overall balanced treatment by the latter of information about the ongoing war,” the judges concluded.

The channel has been repeatedly accused of parroting Russian state propaganda and has been blocked in most western countries since President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine.

Launched in 2005 as Russia Today, the channel had expanded its reach with programs and websites in multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, German and Arabic.