All but one of Crimea’s independent Tatar-language media outlets, including several popular children’s television channels, will be shut down tomorrow as the midnight deadline for re-registration expires under Russian law, Amnesty International has warned.
The Tatar-language publications, websites and broadcasting outlets, although they claim to have submitted their applications for re-registration in good time, have been “arbitrarily” refused re-registration, or not heard back from licensing authorities after applying last April, according to Amnesty. If they do not close, they face hefty fines and even criminal prosecutions.
In stark contrast, Russian-language media outlets reportedly received their licenses shortly after applying.
“At the …read more
Source: Newsweek
