22 Mar 2022 08:45

Euronews website blocked in Russia - Roskomnadzor

MOSCOW. March 22 (Interfax) - The Euronews television channel's website has been blocked in Russia, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) said.

The telecoms regulator told Interfax that access to all Euronews materials in Russia was restricted at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office.

"Based on the request of the Prosecutor General's Office, Roskomnadzor has restricted access to Euronews materials in Russia," the telecoms regulator said in response to a query from Interfax.

"The foreign media outlet has systematically posted unreliable and publicly significant information on a special military operation being carried out by the Russian Armed Forces, as well as information containing calls for people to participate in mass (public) events held in violation of the regulations established in the Russian Federation," Roskomnadzor said.

Currently, according to Roskomnadzor's universal service, the Euronews websites are inaccessible in Russia. Besides, as previously reported, its broadcasts on the networks of various providers have been halted.

Earlier on Monday, viewers who use the services of various providers told Interfax that some of the providers have halted broadcasts of the television channel. In particular, the channel has been disconnected for users of MGTS, Akado, and Tricolor services. Instead of the channel, there is a message saying, "Dear viewers, at the request of the rights holder, broadcasting has been suspended."

The request of the Prosecutor General's Office, based on which access to Euronews in Russia is restricted, is dated March 21.

Roskomnadzor said on March 4 user access to some information resources owned by foreign media outlets and their projects had been blocked in Russia for disseminating fakes on the events taking place in Ukraine. In particular, access has been blocked to the websites of Voice of America (designated as a foreign-agent media outlet by the Russian Justice Ministry), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Deutsche Welle (DW), Meduza (designated as a foreign-agent media outlet by the Russian Justice Ministry), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (designated as a foreign-agent media outlet by the Russian Justice Ministry) and their projects, as well as a number of other information resources. As reported later, user access in Russia to the website of the BBC Russian Service, the official international site bbc.com, as well as www.bbc.com/news (BBC News) was blocked.

The Prosecutor General's Office demanded their blocking, thinking that they are disseminating fakes on the events taking place in Ukraine.