Russian justice places independent TV channel Dojd on list of “foreign agents”

Russian justice designated, Friday, August 20, the emblematic dojd tv channel like “Foreign agent”. As the legislative elections in September approach, this new status could greatly hamper the functioning of this independent media in Russia.

The name of this paid news channel, which broadcasts on the Internet, now appears on the new official list of “foreign agents”, a controversial designation put in place by a law promulgated in 2012.

In Russia, organizations or individuals qualified as “foreign agents” must register with the authorities, carry out tedious administrative procedures and clearly mention this status in their publications. The list of “foreign agents” concerns in particular organizations financed from abroad and having activities “Policies” in Russia.

“The Dojd channel is not an ‘foreign agent’ (…), it’s a Russian media ”, reacted its editor, Tikhon Dziadko, on Telegram messaging. He announced the intention of the editorial staff to appeal this “Decision that contradicts the law and common sense”. “Of course, we will continue to work as before”, he assured.

Article reserved for our subscribers Read also Russia attacks independent media

The list goes on

Founded in 2010, the Dojd channel, one of the last media critical of Russian power, has received funding from the European Union since 2014, according to its management, in particular for the filming of programs aimed at promoting European values ​​in Russia. .

In July, the Russian news website The Insider, who works from Latvia and collaborates in particular with the investigation group Bellingcat, at the origin of several revelations on the Russian secret services, was also classified “foreign agent”.

In April and May, two reputable Russian media – Meduza, established in Latvia, and Vtimes, registered in the Netherlands – had already been placed on this list, which, weighing down their advertising revenues, had caused after a few weeks the closure of Vtimes.

On Friday, the NGO Amnesty International accused the Kremlin, in a statement, of“Launching a campaign against independent media aimed at eradicating impartial journalism and investigations” journalistic. “The stifling law on foreign agents must be immediately canceled “, said the head of the Russian branch of Amnesty International, Natalia Zviaguina, quoted in the press release.

Since Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000, Russia has been accused of curbing all forms of freedom of expression on television, but online media have long been able to operate relatively freely.

As their audience has increased, especially among younger generations, they have however started to arouse more interest from the authorities and have undergone a turn of the screw since the beginning of the year, coinciding with the return to Russia of the opponent Alexeï Navalny, imprisoned since. The Russian authorities have increased pressure on the independent media in recent months.

Article reserved for our subscribers Read also Alexeï Navalny: “Corruption must be the main subject of international summits”

The World with AFP