Reporters without Borders asks Latvian media regulator not to revoke TV Rain’s licence

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has sent a letter to Latvia’s media regulator, National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP), calling for TV Rain’s broadcasting licence not to be revoked. The corresponding document was published on the RSF website.

“Dozhd TV [TV Rain] is an essential, and one of the only remaining, sources of independent and reliable broadcast information by Russian journalists toward the Russian-speaking population. The withdrawal of the media’s license would be a terrible blow for the right to information of the Russian speaking population in Russia and around the world,” the letter reads.

It also says that TV Rain is an independent and reliable source of information which RSF has supported since the time it was still based in Russia.

“TV Dozhd [TV Rain] is one of the few independent channels with Russian journalists broadcasting to the Russian-speaking public. <…> It can be criticised for the offences with which it is accused but the withdrawal of its licence would be a serious blow to journalistic freedom, independence and pluralism,” Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, adds.

Earlier today, NEPLP revoked the broadcasting licence of TV Rain.

“Due to the national security and public order threat, this morning NEPLP made a decision to cancel TV Rain’s broadcasting permission,” Āboliņš tweeted.

“We continue our work and consider all accusations against us to be unjust and absurd,” TV Rain later said in a statement.