RT France Closes After Frances Decision To Freeze Broadcasters Accounts

 

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The RT France broadcaster announced its closure on Saturday, following France's decision to freeze the TV channel's accounts, which made it impossible for the news outlet to continue its activities.

On Friday, RT France editor-in-chief Ksenia Fedorova said that bank accounts of the broadcaster's desk had been frozen in France, adding that the bank refers to the authorities' order. Despite the fact that RT France does not appear on the sanctions list and has the right to work in France, such a decision effectively paralyzes the work of the media, according to Fedorova.

"After five years of perseverance, those in power have achieved their goal  the closure of RT France. Under the pretext of the ninth package of Russia sanctions, which mention not us, but our shareholder in the parent company, the Directorate General of the Treasury has decided to freeze the bank accounts of RT France, making it impossible to continue our activities," the statement read.

The broadcaster also said it "had been targeted since its launch," with those in power in the European Union calling for censoring the TV channel. In particular, the EU authorities used the Ukraine crisis, which was covered by the broadcaster "in a balanced way," to finally "shut RT France up," according to the statement.

"RT France has never been held accountable for anything. This is a political decision, not based on any legal verdict. This is what is called censorship," the broadcaster added.

As a result of Paris' decision, as many as 123 TV channel employees have now faced risk of being unpaid in January and losing their jobs, which "casts doubt on future of media independence in France," according to the statement.

"The closure of RT France amid deafening silence from other French media and journalists is only the first, extremely dangerous step, after which other Russian media will be targeted," the statement read.