EURONEWS BANNED IN RUSSIA

Euronews has joined other news outlets with the Russian media authority, pulling the international news channel off-air and blocking its websites in Russia.

It is common ground that the right to communicate is deeply rooted in the established right to freedom of expression, a fundamental human right on its own, key to the fulfilment of other rights, and an essential underpinning of democracy. The importance of freedom of expression cannot be overstated; international law is replete with statements underlining its essential nature.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) of which Russia is a signatory states that

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the right to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), guarantees

• an unfettered right to hold opinions;

• a right to express and disseminate ‘any information or ideas’;

• a right to have access to media;

• a right to seek and receive information and ideas.

Not only does Article 19 prohibit States from interfering with the enjoyment of these rights, international law requires them to take such steps as are necessary to make freedom of expression a reality for everyone. This includes legislative or other regulatory steps, as well as ‘practical’ positive measures, for example through the establishment of public communication centres.

Euronews reserves the right to pursue all legal avenues to continue to freely broadcast in Russia the truth about the war.

For over 20 years, Euronews’ unique Russian-language offer on the market has been an important independent source of information for millions of Russians, reaching over 30 million TV households and many more people on its digital platforms. Euronews is not only the most watched, but also the most well known and trusted international news brand in Russia.

The live TV feed of Euronews’ Russian-language edition will continue to be available on its digital platforms, which can be accessed via a VPN.