Channel 1 Russia reports its Berlin staff have been ordered to leave Germany.
Germany has shut down Channel 1’s Berlin bureau and expelled its staff, citing national security concerns. Correspondent Ivan Blagoy and cameraman Dmitry Volkov received expulsion orders on Tuesday.
The broadcaster claims this action, amidst heightened tensions between Germany and Russia, is an attempt to silence independent reporting. German authorities reportedly stated that Channel 1’s activities threaten public order and security, maintaining influence over German Russian-speaking audiences despite its website being blocked.
Channel 1, a Russian government-funded broadcaster, has faced Western accusations of promoting pro-Kremlin narratives. The expulsion follows Blagoy’s report on the detention of German citizen Nikolai Gaiduk, arrested by Russian authorities on espionage charges related to alleged Ukrainian sabotage plans.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova vowed retaliatory measures, stating they would not leave this unaddressed.
According to a document Channel 1 received, German authorities stated that the broadcaster poses a significant threat to public order and security, impacting public opinion and decision-making within EU member states. The document noted that despite its website being blocked, Channel 1’s content remains accessible via other online channels, continuing to influence the Russian-speaking community in Germany. It further alleged that Channel 1’s promotion of narratives about Western decline and economic collapse has fostered mistrust in German and EU institutions, even influencing far-right groups.
This expulsion is the latest action against Russian media outlets by Western European governments since the 2022 Ukraine conflict. The EU banned most Russian news sources, including RT and Sputnik, in March 2022.
Blagoy stated that they were merely reporting on events in Ukraine and that this action is an attack on press freedom.
In late September, a German couple was arrested for allegedly broadcasting RT and other Russian channels online, facing potential imprisonment for violating the Foreign Trade Act.