Estonia needs proactive legislation to restrict “harmful foreign media outlets,” in addition to sanctions imposed on Russia, Andres Jõesaar, media adviser at the Estonian Ministry of Culture, stated, ERR reports. He conceded that the recent controversial proposal by the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) to monitor media bias was “badly worded.” However, Jõesaar…
Estonian MEP Yana Toom of the Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) visited Russia to meet with pro-Russia activist Zoja Paljamar, who was barred from entering Estonia for security reasons, ERR reports. Toom said that she was visiting her sister in Russia. “Perhaps someone also has a relative in North Korea, too,” she explained. Toom announced on…
The proposal of Estonia’s Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) to begin monitoring media bias will only apply to programmes from third countries, TTJA director general Kristi Talving announced, ERR reports. She apologised for the confusion caused by TTJA’s proposal, saying that the agency should have clarified that the new rules would only apply…
Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, Tiit Riisalo (Estonia 200), said that the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) had the right to protect Estonia’s media space from propaganda channels of hostile states, ERR reports. Riisalo said that TTJA had blocked 51 TV channels and 273 websites to date. Also, he noted that…
Estonia’s Minister of Interior, Lauri Läänemets (SDE), does not support the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority’s (TTJA) proposal to begin monitoring media bias in news programmes, ERR reports. The ministry’s media adviser, Andres Jõesaar, rejected the idea as well. Speaking on ETV’s “Aktuaalne Kaamera,” Jõesaar stated that there was no problem that required such…
The Lithuanian MEP, Viktor Uspaskich, and his former wife, Jolanta Blazyte, are funding a new social media platform and alternative news website, 77.lt, LRT reports. The website, which was launched in April 2023, has attracted users who spread fake news about the coronavirus pandemic, vaccines, and the war in Ukraine. The network operates as part…
Estonian former MP Mihhail Stalnuhhin, who failed to renew his seat in the parliamentary elections in March 2023, says he is leaving politics, ERR reports. He won the most votes (4,578) in the Ida-Virumaa county, but fell short of a personal mandate. Stalnuhhin said that it was his last election. He was expelled from the…
The Latvian political activist, Valentins Jeremejevs, has released several videos in which he claims that 2,000 families in Latvia will be evicted from their homes due to the construction of the Rail Baltica railway, Re:Baltica reports. Jeremejevs’s most popular video on TikTok has been viewed by almost 150,000 people and on Facebook by 2,300 people….
Estonia’s Tallinn District Court has rejected the appeal of Alexey Yesakov, one of the organisers of the pro-Russian “Immortal Regiment” protest march, against being deported from Estonia, Postimees reports. The court thus upheld an October 2022 ruling of the administrative court. Yesakov was deported and his permanent residence permit was annulled in May 2022 for…