This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/news/363013-rt-uk-accounts-blocked/
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| RT bank accounts blocked in UK – editor-in-chief | RT bank accounts blocked in UK – editor-in-chief |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| RT UK’s bank accounts have been blocked, RT’s editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan reported. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova reacted, saying it seems that in leaving the EU, London also left any freedom of speech obligations behind there. | |
| “Our accounts in Britain have been blocked. All of them. ‘Decision not to be discussed’. Hail to freedom of speech!” RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan said on her Twitter account. | |
| The National Westminster Bank has informed RT UK that it will no longer have the broadcaster among its clients. The bank provided no explanation for the decision. | |
| “We have recently undertaken a review of your banking arrangements with us and reached the conclusion that we will no longer provide these facilities,” NatWest said in a letter to RT’s London office. | “We have recently undertaken a review of your banking arrangements with us and reached the conclusion that we will no longer provide these facilities,” NatWest said in a letter to RT’s London office. |
| READ MORE: UK freezes bank account of Russian news agency, gives no reason | |
| The bank said that the entire Royal Bank of Scotland Group, of which NatWest is part, would refuse to service RT. | |
| The letter said the decision was final and that it is “not prepared to enter into any discussion in relation to it.” | The letter said the decision was final and that it is “not prepared to enter into any discussion in relation to it.” |
| “We have no idea why it happened, because neither yesterday nor the day before yesterday, nor a month ago, nothing special happened to us, nobody threatened us in any way. Hypothetically, this may have something to do with new British and American sanctions against Russia, which may be announced soon. It may not. Our legal department is dealing with the issue now,” Margarita Simonyan told RBK business news website. | |
| READ MORE: Spanish bank blocks payment to RT over EU sanctions against non-related media chief | |
| Commenting on the development, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said it indicated that “Britain on its way out of the EU abandoned all its commitments to protect the freedom of speech.” |