DISINFO: The Baltic States violate the right of Russian-speaking people to get informed in their mother tongue
SUMMARY
Russia should bring to attention the violation of the rights of Russian-speakers in the Baltic states as well as persecution of journalists, which are collaborating with RT and Sputnik. It is becoming a usual thing for Russian-speaking people in the Baltic states to be denied access to the information in their mother tongue.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about alleged violation of human rights and freedom of speech in the Baltic states.
The presented claims are groundless. The Baltic states are Democratic countries, which respect Human Rights and do not discriminate or oppress any persons because of their citizenship, political opinions or mother tongue. Read more about the situation with Human Rights in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Claim about the persecution of Russian-speaking journalists in the Baltic states is also not true. The situation is linked to the attempt of the Baltic states to secure the information space. All actions taken by Estonia in relation to Sputnik Estonia, for example, are aimed at economic activity and not against the outlet's news content. At the same time, the activities of Sputnik and Baltnews in Lithuania are in the focus of the State Security Department of the country.
In the “Freedom of the press 2021” ranking (by Reporters Without Borders) Estonia is on 14th place, Latvia on 22nd place and Lithuania on 28th place. Russia, to compare, is in 150th position, the situation of media freedom in the country is described as “bad”.
Russian-speaking people in the Baltic states are offered information in their mother tongue. Estonia is broadcasting a TV channel in the Russian language ETV+. In Latvia, Russian-speaking people could read the news site in the Russian language rus.LSM, established by Latvian public radio and television. The popular news portal DELFI have a Russian-language version in all three Baltic states.
See more similar examples of disinformation: The US allows Poland and the Baltic States to violate human rights as much as they want; The Baltic States continue the persecution of Russian publications and Russian-speaking journalists; The Baltic States are persecuting the Russian media.