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"Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments, private institutions and other controlling bodies."
The Lithuanian parliament tightens the state of emergency after the so called Russian invasion of Ukraine. Police will be given the power to block access to all media for up to 72 hours if the government states there is talk of "disinformation", "war propaganda" and "incitement to hatred". The new scheme will initially apply until April 20. Lithuania entered a state of emergency on February 24, just hours after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine. As a former Soviet republic, like Ukraine, the current EU and NATO members supposedly fear that Russia sees them as a future target.
In 2018, the country of Lithuania was already involved in a scandal in regards to press freedom. The coalition of The ruling Farmers and Greens Party (LVZS) and the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania back then declared the need for more regulation of the media. For example, it has attempted to push through legislation that, if enacted, would have required a 50/50 balance for negative and positive content in the media. It was proposed by the MP Dovile Sakaliene, but she withdrew it after a public outcry.
Journalists in Lithuania are being increasingly barred from accessing certain events, such as those held in state institutions. For example, journalists in the Gargzdai municipality were denied the right to attend a meeting with the municipality heads and the prime minister, Saulius Skvernelis. It is an abnormal situation when the mayors’ advisors are given exclusive access to information. The mayor’s advisors then video streamed the meeting and posted the news on Facebook. For a few years, this has been an increasing trend in Lithuania, where journalists are being bypassed in the preparing and disseminating of information.
Source:
https://www.tagesschau.de/newsticker/liveblog-ukraine-donnerstag-101.html
https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2018/07/after-three-decades-relative-freedomlithuania-media-reined-in/
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