The German media company Deutsche Welle (DW) has officially been recognized by Russian authorities as an “undesirable organization,” DW reports.
The corresponding entry appeared in the registry of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on Tuesday, December 16.
This status is granted to organizations by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia, after which the Ministry of Justice adds them to the list of organizations whose activities are considered “undesirable” on Russian territory.
According to the registry, the Prosecutor General’s decision was made on December 1.
“The current attempt by the Russian regime to silence free media shows how little it respects freedom of speech and how afraid it is of independent information. Despite censorship and blocking by the Russian government, Deutsche Welle’s Russian-language offerings have more users than before. We will continue independent journalism—covering the aggressive war against Ukraine and other topics—so that people can form their own opinions,” said DW CEO Barbara Massing.
The German Foreign Ministry also called the Russian decision “completely unfounded.”
It is noted that in March 2022, DW was declared a “foreign agent” in Russia—a status applied to individuals, media, and organizations that receive funding from abroad.
