Two Russian TV channels face the prospect of being banned in Lithuania for up to a year.
Quoted by 15min, Edmund Vaitiekunas, the head of the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission (LRTK), said that some programmes on RTR Planeta and NTV Mir Lithuania has already had some of their programmes suspended for three months and that if a ban is imposed on the whole channel for repeated violations it could last for up to a year.
The LRTK will consider such a ban this week, as well as restricting programmes on Ren TV Baltic (Lithuania), another Russian channel.
Vaitiekunas said that the law does not specify terms of sanctions on channels for repeated violations, only that those sanctions should be temporary.
Prior to imposing any bans, the LRTK would have to negotiate with the channels and notify the EC of the violations they are accused of.
The Lithuanian parliament is currently considering amendments to existing legislation that tackles incitement to hatred or war, along with other offences.
If implemented, these could result in violators being fined up to €100,000 or 3% of their annual income.
