Berlin court upholds RT DE broadcast ban by German media regulators
June 30, 2026 20.34 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger

The Administrative Court of Berlin has upheld a 2022 decision by Germany’s media regulators to prohibit Russian television service RT DE (formerly RT Deutsch), dismissing a lawsuit brought by RT DE Productions GmbH against the regulatory action.

In its ruling on 30 June 2026, the court confirmed that the objection and prohibition order issued by the media authority Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg (mabb), based on a decision by the licensing and supervision commission Kommission für Zulassung und Aufsicht (ZAK), was lawful.

According to the court, mabb was correct in classifying RT DE Productions GmbH as the broadcaster responsible for the RT DE television channel, which required a German broadcasting licence. The judges found that, based on the overall circumstances, editorial responsibility for the channel’s content rested with RT DE Productions GmbH in Germany rather than with Russia-based broadcaster TV Novosti.

The court also rejected RT DE Productions GmbH’s argument that it acted solely as a supplier of programme components for TV Novosti, stating that the company had failed to provide convincing evidence to support that claim.

The decision marks the latest development in a dispute that began in early 2022 when German regulators ordered RT DE to cease broadcasting in Germany on the grounds that it lacked a valid licence. At the time, RT DE argued that the channel was operated and distributed by TV Novosti in Moscow and maintained that it was authorised to broadcast under a Serbian licence.

The ban triggered a diplomatic and media dispute between Germany and Russia. Following the German decision, Russian authorities took action against German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, revoking its broadcasting rights in Russia and ordering the closure of its Moscow bureau.

The Administrative Court of Berlin had already rejected an emergency application by RT DE Productions GmbH in March 2022, finding the regulators’ decision likely to be lawful. Following the ruling, RT DE Productions GmbH ceased broadcasting operations from Berlin in April 2022.

RT DE Productions GmbH has been in liquidation since February 2023. The company may still seek permission to appeal the latest judgment before the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg.