Photos: Latvian Official Who Revoked 'Dождь' License Praised Putin

The Latvian official who revoked the broadcast license of the Russian opposition channel 'Дождь' had high praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin six years ago, commending his speech regarding the annexation of Crimea, opposing Ukraine's EU membership, and arguing that Putin is keeping Russia free from chaos. This was reported by The Insider.

Ivars Abolins is the head of the National Electronic Media Council. On December 6, this council canceled 'Дождь’s' license to broadcast in Latvia. He has since stated that he regrets his previous statements and no longer holds such views: "These tweets no longer represent my opinion. At that time, I backed my tweets based on the available information. This opinion is wrong and does not reflect my current position."

It should be noted that the 'Дождь' channel ceased operations in Russia back in early March after journalists began facing criminal liability under a new article of the Russian Criminal Code regarding 'military fakes.' Later, the channel managed to obtain a work permit in Latvia, where Russian state television channels are prohibited.

However, yesterday, the head of Latvia’s National Electronic Media Council, Ivars Abolins, stated that the channel must cease broadcasting this week. The decision was made due to a "danger threatening national security and public order." The decision to suspend the channel's broadcast will come into force on Thursday night, December 8, and 'Дождь' will halt operations in Latvia.