Germany closes Russian Channel One office
The German government has ordered the closure of Russia's Channel One office in the country. The broadcaster said its staff had been asked to leave Berlin.
Specifically, according to RT, Channel One announced in a statement on November 27 that reporter Ivan Blagoy and cameraman Dmitry Volkov were asked to leave Berlin in early December. According to information from the TV station, German authorities explained this decision by citing national security policy.
Channel One called the expulsion of its staff “a punishment for truth and professionalism.” The station said Blagoy and Volkov “made themselves big enemies” by reporting on real events in Ukraine, investigating sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline, and investigating the dubious dealings of the German elite.
The station said German authorities announced the closure of its Berlin office on November 26.
According to Blagoy, the decision came after Channel One reported on the arrest of German citizen Nikolay Gaiduk by Russian security services. Gaiduk was arrested on suspicion of being recruited by Ukrainian intelligence to smuggle improvised explosive devices into Russia's Kaliningrad region and sabotage gas facilities there.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS that Moscow will announce retaliatory measures against the closure of Channel One's office in Germany later on November 27.
The broadcaster cited a document received from German authorities, which stated that “Channel One's activities pose a direct and serious threat to public order and security in Germany and the EU, as they influence the formation of public opinion and decision-making in member states.”
The document also said that although Channel One's website has been blocked in Germany, its content remains “available on the Internet, distributed via Telegram channels and continues to influence the Russian-speaking community in Germany.”
“Russian media have promoted the decline of the West and the economic collapse of Europe. These and other far-right messages have taken root among a large number of Russian speakers, causing distrust in German state structures, the EU and influencing far-right groups in Germany,” the document added, according to Channel One.
In late September, a couple in the German city of Karlsruhe were arrested on suspicion of broadcasting RT and other Russian TV channels over the Internet. They could face at least a year in prison if convicted of violating the Foreign Trade Act.
Most Russian media organizations were banned in the EU in March 2022 after the Ukraine conflict escalated.
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