YouTube has permanently blocked the account of Tsargrad TV channel and its former chief editor, pro-Kremlin analyst Aleksandr Dugin, due to violation of the legislation on sanctions and trade rules, Interfax reported on Tuesday.
“Google complies with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws. If we find that an account is in violation of these laws, we take appropriate action”, representatives of Google, which owns YouTube, told the news agency.
The founder of Tsargrad TV channel, Konstantin Malofeyev has been under US sanctions since 2014, over his participation in the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea by Russia, and his financial support to Russia-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine.
The Tsargrad TV channel, which describes itself as an outlet for conservative Orthodox Christians, was disabled without the right to restore, according to RFE/RL. On Tuesday, it posted on Russia’s VKontakte (VK) social network that all content will be available on its website, following YouTube’s blocking.