EU Court Allows Criminal Prosecution for Distributing RT Content
The Court of Justice of the European Union has clarified the application of sanctions against Russian state-run media and confirmed that individuals may face criminal liability for disseminating content from the Russia Today (RT) television channel online.
The defendants in the case are accused of posting RT Germany video content on a website; RT Germany’s broadcasts were suspended following the imposition of European Union sanctions in 2022.
“Broadcasting of this channel is prohibited in the European Union due to restrictions related to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine,” the court ruling states.
During the proceedings, the German court sought to determine whether individuals who administer websites on a non-profit basis and finance them solely through voluntary user donations can be considered “operators” within the meaning of sanctions legislation.
The EU court concluded that the term “operator” should be interpreted broadly. This means that sanctions restrictions apply not only to official broadcasters but also to the owners and administrators of public websites that distribute prohibited RT content.
The ruling also emphasizes that the ban applies to all materials regardless of their content, duration, or format, and that the source of the website’s funding does not affect the application of sanctions.
Thus, even resources that exist solely on voluntary donations are not exempt from the European Union’s sanctions regime if they disseminate content from Russian state media that is subject to sanctions.
The Fourth Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union issued this ruling in response to a request from a German court hearing a criminal case against three individuals.
Earlier in Latvia, an administrative district court overturned a decision by the National Electronic Media Council (NEPLP) to revoke the license of the Russian independent television channel “Dozhd” (TV Rain), which operates in exile.
