Lithuania to block IP addresses providing access to sanctioned Russian TV channels

The monitoring revealed abuse of viewing Russian propaganda on the Internet.

The Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission has issued an official recommendation to Internet service providers to check and remove access to IP addresses that allow watching Russian propaganda TV channels under EU sanctions within five days. This was reported by the Delfi portal.

The Commission has previously conducted a monitoring and found that the Lithuanian Internet segment is broadcasting TV channels that have been sanctioned by the EU. These are NTV (НТВ), Channel One (Первый канал), Russia 1 (Россия 1), Russia 24 (Россия 24), and RTR Planet (РТР Планета).

The Commission recalled that after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU Council imposed sanctions against a number of Russian propaganda channels, including RT (Russia Today), Sputnik, Russia RTR/RTR Planet, Russia 24, TV Center, NTV/NTV Mir, Russia 1, REN TV, and Channel One, for spreading disinformation and propaganda against the European Union and its member states. Violation of international sanctions leads to administrative and criminal liability.

Reportedly, Lithuania began restricting the broadcasting of Russian channels at the national level in March 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.

EU sanctions on Kremlin propaganda channels were imposed after February 24, 2022. In particular, on March 2, 2022, the EU announced the blocking of RT and Sputnik broadcasting in the union. On June 3, the broadcasting of three Russian state-owned TV channels, RTR Planet, Russia 24, and TV Center International, was banned.

The sanctions list is constantly being updated. In December 2022, NTV/NTV Mir, Channel One, Russia 1, and REN TV were added to the list. On February 24, 2023, the tenth package of sanctions against Russia was approved. In particular, the broadcasting licenses for RT Arabic and Sputnik Arabic were suspended.

Image: @picture-alliance/dpa/Y.Kochetkov