Since April 1, TV channel ATR terminated its broadcasting in Crimea

Since the beginning of April, the world’s only Crimean Tatar TV channel ATR terminated its broadcasting in Crimea as Roskomnadzor refused to register it according to the Russian legislation, reports Interfax-Ukraine. The channel submitted all the required documents four times but no avail.

In the last hour of the channel’s broadcasting, its managers addressed its audience live, reports the online media outlet "15 khvylyn," which is also is a part of the media holding ATR.

In particular, the owner of ATR Lenur Isliamov explained why he refused to sell the TV channel despite numerous proposals he was receiving. He wanted to keep the integrity of the channel’s journalists intact and not to lose the respect of the Crimean Tatar community. 

The TV channel’s director general Elzara Isliamova informed that ATR and the rest of media outlets in the eponymous holding will continue their attempts to obtain the documents necessary to continue their work in Crimea.

 Then, the channel’s anchor and vice-director of ATR on informational policy Lilia Budzhurova addressed the audience and said that those who wanted ATR to close down were aiming not at the channel itself but at the entire Crimean Tatar nation but she believed that this attempt is futile and that Crimean Tatars will prevail.

  Several other local media outlets, including the children’s TV channel ‘Liali’, the radio station ‘Meidan-FM’ printed editions ‘Avdet’, ‘Kyrym’, and others as well as the informational agency ‘QHA’ had to stop their operation in Crimea since April 1 as Roskomnadzor refused to register them under contrived pretext.

 Medzhlis of the Crimean Tatar people issued an official statement that closing the independent Crimean Tatar media outlets is violation of Crimea’s indigenous community and called Crimeans of all ethnic backgrounds to stand up for human rights and rights of nations.