German Press Urges Chancellor Scholz to Negotiate DW License With Putin Ahead of His Visit to Moscow

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The German Federation of Journalists (DJV) on Monday called on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to negotiate an immediate lifting of restrictions imposed on media activities of the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) in Russia, during upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the beginning of February, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow was closing the DW bureau in Moscow, annulling the accreditation of its employees, and terminating DW satellite and other broadcasts after German media regulator MABB officially banned the airing of RT DE in Germany on 1 February. A ministry official told Sputnik that if Germany were to revisit its position on RT DE, Moscow would respond in kind.

"I, therefore, ask you to use all of your authority with the Russian side to ensure that the suspension of operations of Deutsche Welle is lifted immediately. In addition, Russian authorities must immediately cease any attempts to prevent correspondents from practising their professional duties in the country," the federation posted on the website, citing DJV Chief Frank Uberall's letter.

The Russian and German leaders will meet on Tuesday.

RT DE received a broadcasting license in Serbia, which gives it the right to broadcast in most EU countries, including Germany. Nonetheless, German media regulator MABB said that RT DE was officially banned in Germany because it lacked the necessary permission for broadcasting.