Man arrested in Latvia for setting up Russian TV channels in homes
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The man might face a prison sentence of two years or another possibility of community service and a fine under the article "violation of copyright or related rights".
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Latvian police (LSM)
The Delfi portal reported on Saturday, citing police, that an unidentified man was arrested in the Latvian capital of Riga for hooking up "illegal television" in homes.
It was discovered that the man was offering television connections and service for close to 100 households in Riga for an extended period of time. During the raid, TV signal equipment and computers, access codes of Russian satellite TV provider Tricolor, telephones, payment cards, and documents, were found by police.
The man might face a prison sentence of two years, or another possibility of community service and a fine under the article "violation of copyright or related rights".
The Baltic authorities have previously impeded the expansion of Russian media on their territory. Since June 9, the last remaining 80 Russian TV channels were banned from broadcasting in Latvia.
In March, as part of the campaign of sanctions against Russia for the war in Ukraine, Google Europe blocked Youtube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe - as Ursula von Der Leyen accused the pair of "spreading harmful disinformation."
Later that month, the UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) withdrew Russia Today's license to broadcast in the nation "with immediate effect", claiming that the television station was not "fit and proper" to have the broadcasting permissions.
In a statement, the watchdog said, "Ofcom has today revoked RT’s license to broadcast in the UK, with immediate effect. We have done so on the basis that we do not consider RT’s licensee, ANO TV Novosti, fit and proper to hold a UK broadcast license."
