Russian Authorities Label Deutsche Welle as “Undesirable,” Tightening Grip on Press Freedom

On Tuesday, the Russian Justice Ministry classified Deutsche Welle, the German news outlet, as an “undesirable” organization, marking it as the latest foreign media entity to be prohibited in the country amid an extensive crackdown on press freedom.

This classification prevents the broadcaster from operating within Russia. According to Russian legislation, individuals affiliated with «undesirable» organizations could face up to four years in prison, while leaders of such organizations may face sentences of up to six years.

Although the Justice Ministry did not release a public statement regarding DW’s new status, State Duma representative Vasily Piskaryov, who leads the lower house’s Commission on Foreign Interference, accused the German broadcaster over the weekend of disseminating “anti-Russian propaganda” and training “disinformation specialists.”

In light of indications that Moscow’s authorities were preparing to blacklist the outlet, DW’s Director General, Barbara Massing, stated on Sunday that neither she nor her team would be intimidated.

“While the Russian government has imposed censorship and blocked our services, DW’s Russian language service now reaches a larger audience than ever,” Massing noted in her statement.

Prior to the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia had already closed down the German broadcaster’s Moscow office in retaliation for Berlin’s ban on the German-language programming of the Kremlin-funded outlet RT.

In March 2022, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated DW as a “foreign agent,” leading to the blocking of its website in Russia shortly afterward.

The Russian government introduced its “undesirable” law in 2015, using it as a means to suppress independent media, opposition groups, and organizations funded from abroad. Currently, hundreds of entities, including The Moscow Times, are on the blacklist.

The German government has condemned Russia’s ban on DW, accusing the Kremlin of harboring a “fear of independent information, particularly regarding the aggressive war against Ukraine.”