Peskov, Podolyak, and Journalists Comment on the Blockage of 'Дождь' in Latvia

Latvia will revoke the broadcasting license of the 'Дождь' television channel tomorrow. This decision was made by the local National Council for Electronic Media. Council chairman Ivars Abolins stated that the decision was taken due to "the danger posed to national security and public order."

“Assessing the entirety of the violations, the council was convinced that the management of 'Дождь' does not understand and is not aware of the significance and seriousness of the violations, and therefore cannot operate within the territory of Latvia,” he added.

Prominent figures have shared their opinions on this controversial decision, including Dmitry Peskov, Mikhail Podolyak, and various journalists. Here are some of their comments:

Dmitry Peskov
Press Secretary of the President of Russia
“Someone constantly thinks that somewhere is better than at home. And someone always thinks that there is freedom elsewhere, while at home there is no freedom. This is one of the brightest examples demonstrating the fallacy of such illusions.”

Mikhail Podolyak
Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine
“Every one of us should have internal censorship, sorry. I believe both Ms. Kotrikadze and Mr. Zyadko have taken a clear stance, have made the appropriate decisions, including administrative ones, and have explained their position as being absolutely anti-war and pro-Ukrainian.”

Michael McFaul
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia
“I find this decision by the Latvian government baffling. I know that some fool said something foolish about 'Дождь.' But this one mistake must be weighed against the millions of truths and facts about Putin's criminal and barbaric war that have also been broadcast on 'Дождь.'”

Anna Mongait
Host of 'Дождь'
“Latvia has revoked the license of 'Дождь.' We continue to work, remaining on YouTube, but we are losing some cable network coverage. We know how to overcome epic-scale difficulties, and we do not consider our mission to be complete. But I will say that every hater who trampled on 'Дождь' these days, accusing us of a crime that we did not commit, has their share in what is happening.”

Reporters Without Borders
International organization defending journalists
“We deeply regret the decision by the Latvian regulatory authority to revoke the license of the independent Russian channel 'Дождь,' which is in exile. While the accusations against the channel are indeed deserving of criticism, it represents a serious blow to the freedom of information.”

Kira Yarmish
Press Secretary for Navalny's Team
“There is Vladimir Putin, who started the war. There is the 'Дождь' channel, which speaks the truth about Putin and the war. Revoking 'Дождь''s license helps Putin, and certainly not the other way around.”

Alexey Venediktov
Former Editor-in-Chief of Echo of Moscow
“My solidarity with 'Дождь' remains unchanged. Tikhon (Zyadko), Katya (Kotrikadze), Natasha (Sindejeva).”

Karen Shahinyan
Journalist
“What cynicism and hypocrisy. And what operational efficiency, for example, it took them two days to investigate... Dear, beloved colleagues, you are much more than all those who catch you in inaccuracies, envy, and hate. You always look to the future and build it. I am proud to be minimally involved in it and to be friends with you, while your enemies look to the past, and you will surpass them all. I love you and today I think only of you.”

Meanwhile, 'Дождь' ceased its operations in Russia back in early March, after journalists in the country began to face criminal liability under a new article of the Criminal Code regarding "military fakes." Later, the channel managed to obtain a work permit in Latvia, where Russian state television channels are banned.

The decision to halt the channel's broadcasting will take effect Thursday night, December 8, and 'Дождь' will cease its broadcasts in Latvia.

Considering that 'Дождь' is broadcast not only on television but also on YouTube, NEPLP will request to geographically block the channel on this platform to ensure that the content is not accessible in Latvia, Abolins stated.