Former Dozhd TV presenter Alexei Korostelev was banned from entering Latvia. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country has made it to the "black list", reports the publication DELFI. It is noted that Korostelev worked from Georgia, he does not have a Latvian visa or residence permit, so he cannot be held liable in Latvia, he can only be denied entry. Within a month, Korostelev has the right to appeal this decision to the Administrative District Court.
On December 6, the Latvian State Security Service recommended that the Ministry of Internal Affairs include Korostelev in the “black list”. They reported that they had evaluated the statements made on the "Dozhd" in the "Here and Now" program on December 1, and came to the conclusion that they can be regarded as a call to provide material support to the mobilized Russian soldiers.
According to the Latvian State Security Service, Korostelev's statements on the air "create a false impression of the Russian army, encouraging public sympathy for the aggressors." Therefore, the department recommended that the Minister of Internal Affairs include Korostelev in the so-called "black list" of foreigners who are prohibited from entering Latvia.
Also, the state security of Latvia found out that the program was filmed in the editorial office of the TV channel in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Korostelev permanently lives and works in Georgia. Since he does not have a residence permit in Latvia, he cannot be prosecuted in Latvia, according to Latvian media.
Korostelev was fired from the "Rain" after he uttered a phrase on the air about the supply of Russian mobilized. At the TV channel itself, Latvia revoked the license for television broadcasting. On December 6, Dozhd CEO Natalia Sindeeva published a video message in which she said she regretted Korostelev's dismissal and asked him to return to the channel, and also called back two employees who had left solidarity with the fired TV presenter.
The situation with the "Rain" The Insider was commented by the deputy of the Latvian Seimas Andrey Yudin. According to him, the channel associates itself with Russia, with a large country, and this "leaves its mark."
“If “Rain” is inconvenient for the Kremlin, and Latvia decides [to revoke the license], this does not mean that we are working hand in hand. For us [the inhabitants of Latvia] it is unacceptable that people, although not so clearly, continue to associate themselves with the country that attacked Ukraine and is waging a war of conquest. They chose the position: “We will speak loudly, we will be on the side of the world and against aggression, but sometimes we will allow ourselves something that causes mixed reactions.”
I do not consider Dozhd to be evil, I believe that the editors of Dozhd perform an important function and help those who are able to think, but are lost, and help someone to wake up and understand – and for this I thank them. But there is another audience that expects more from them, and that's what they can't provide because they're stuck in their audience."