Overview
- The Court of Justice of the European Union interpreted EU sanctions to cover websites that make RT (Russia Today) material freely accessible to the public, removing uncertainty about the law's online reach.
- The court said liability does not depend on whether the reposting was part of economic activity and that the length or extent of sharing does not exempt publishers from prosecution.
- The ruling grew out of criminal proceedings in Germany, where three people face charges for repeatedly reposting videos from RT Germany on a publicly accessible website.
- Under the judgment, EU member-state authorities can treat individuals who repost sanctioned media the same way they treat telecommunications or broadcasting operators and can pursue criminal cases accordingly.
- The decision clarifies enforcement of earlier EU restrictive measures against RT and signals that platforms, small websites and private sharers across the bloc may face legal risk if they distribute designated RT content.