Russia has officially designated the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) as an “undesirable organisation.” Authorities in Russia regularly apply this label to organisations accused of undermining national security. Russian citizens who cooperate with or provide funding to such organisations can face prison sentences of up to five years, and sharing their media content may also be considered a criminal offence.
The decision affects DW’s Russian-language services, which the broadcaster says reached at least ten million users per week. Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, had called for such a move on August 20, 2024, and welcomed the decision.
DW Director General Barbara Massing said the move would not deter the broadcaster. She stated that it demonstrates “how little the regime values press freedom and how much it fears independent information.” Despite censorship and blocking measures imposed by the Russian authorities, DW’s Russian service now reaches more people than before, she said, adding that the broadcaster will continue its independent reporting.
Previously labelled a “foreign agent”
Deutsche Welle has been designated a “foreign agent” in Russia since March 2022, a label commonly applied by Russian authorities to media outlets, organisations and individuals receiving foreign funding.
Russia has previously banned DW’s broadcasts, closed its Moscow bureau, and blocked access to the broadcaster’s website within the country. Numerous other media outlets and civil society organisations — including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bellingcat, CORRECTIV, Reporters Without Borders, and TV Rain — have also been declared “undesirable organisations.”
