Latvia bans its public broadcaster from producing regular Russian-language content (except during emergencies)

Source: LSM

Latvia’s parliament, the Saeima, has passed a law that effectively bans the public broadcaster LSM from producing content in Russian.

Most of the 55 lawmakers who voted for the bill belonged to the governing coalition, which comprises New Unity, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and the National Alliance. The 24 lawmakers who voted against it were members of the opposition parties the Progressives and Latvia First or were unaffiliated with a parliamentary group.

Under the law, LSM will be allowed to produce content in Russian only in three circumstances: during an emergency, under a state of emergency, or when targeted efforts are needed to debunk false information “that threatens democracy and the Latvian state as a whole.”

The law takes effect on January 1, 2027. LSM said that, in practice, it will stop producing regular content in Russian.

Latvian authorities have steadily restricted the use of Russian in public life. Legislation removed Russian from ATM menus in 2024; its use in banking apps was banned in the summer of 2025.

Public radio and television have not broadcast in Russian since January 1, 2026. Until now, LSM’s Russian-language content has been limited to its website and social media.

Russian is the native language of roughly one-third of Latvia’s residents.

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Latvia bans its public broadcaster from producing regular Russian-language content (except during emergencies)

LSM

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Latvia bans its public broadcaster from producing regular Russian-language content (except during emergencies)

LSM

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