A blow to Deutsche Welle. Russia considered the giant an undesirable organization

The Russian Ministry of Justice on Tuesday declared the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) an undesirable organization due to the threat its activities would pose to national security, Reuters reported.

“Russia may consider us an 'undesirable organization,' but that will not discourage us,” said DW director general Barbara Massing. She added that these actions show the scale of concerns that the Russian authorities have towards the independent press.

– DW reaches more people today than ever before thanks to its services in Russian. We will continue to report events independently, Massing said.

In March 2022, Deutsche Welle was included in the list of “foreign media agents” in Russia. Employees of DW's Moscow editorial office were forced to leave, and the station's website was blocked.

The Russian authorities regularly recognize additional entities, including foreign media and organizations, as threatening national security. Cooperation with organizations deemed “undesirable” can result in up to five years in prison. Even sharing articles from banned media on social networks is considered a crime.

The following were also considered undesirable in Russia: Radio Swoboda, Bellingcat website and Reporters Without Borders. (PAP)

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