DISINFO: Accusations of Latvian Russian journalists are based on Russophobia and Russia phobia
SUMMARY
Due to cooperation with the Russian media, we, (Russian Latvian) journalists with many years of experience, who have always acted within the law and in accordance with professional ethics, have been persecuted. They want to make us criminals, to hang convictions on far-fetched reasons. The ideological-political background of the accusations is based on Russophobia, manifest as both a fear of Russians and the Russian state, it is understandable to everyone, and to those who will judge us.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation message about the Baltic States, particularly Latvia, portraying governments in the Baltics as hostile towards the Russian media. The pro-Kremlin media regularly accuses the political elites of the Baltic States of Russophobia and the implementation of anti-Russian policies.
These kind of claims try to portray EU sanctions on Russia, the result of its illegal actions in Ukraine, as unfair persecution against Sputnik and its employees, and against media freedom in general. In Latvia, as well as in Lithuania and Estonia, RT, Sputnik, Baltnews are well-known channels for the spread of Kremlin-backed disinformation; several directly financed from the Russian Federation state budget. Many cases of disinformation published in these media outlets are debunked in the EU vs DISINFO database.
In the “Freedom of the press 2021” ranking (by Reporters Without Borders) Estonia is in 14th place, Latvia in 22nd place and Lithuania in 28th place. Russia is in 150th position, the situation of media freedom in the country described as “bad”.
In the “Freedom in the World” ranking (by Freedom House) Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were evaluated as free countries. Russia belongs to the group of non-free countries.
See similar cases claiming that the Baltic states continue the persecution of Russian publications and Russian-speaking journalists; or that Ukraine and Baltics use restrictions against Russian media for the achievement of geopolitical goals against Russia; or that Poland started another wave of Russophobic political persecution on the Russian journalists; or that the campaign to combat the Russian media in the Baltics is part of the West’s large geopolitical strategy.