“From January 1, as a result of overt pressure from the Estonian authorities, the Tallinn Bureau of the Russian news agency Sputnik was terminated. The thousands of viewers and listeners of this channel lost the opportunity to receive objective information that meets all the canons of journalistic ethics, ”the diplomatic mission said.

As the embassy noted, Russian diplomats, as well as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, have repeatedly expressed their indignation at the actions of the Estonian authorities, "which run counter to the values ​​declared and protected in Europe."

Appropriate calls were made by representatives of the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the European Federation of Journalists.

The diplomatic mission noted that many Estonian citizens agree with this assessment.

“I would like the Estonian side to recall the international obligations undertaken to ensure freedom of speech, giving Sputnik Estonia employees the opportunity to return to fulfilling their professional duties,” the embassy said.

On January 1, Sputnik Estonia switched to emergency operation.

It was reported that employees of Sputnik Estonia were forced to terminate their employment relations with the editorial office from January 1, 2020 due to the threat of criminal prosecution.