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17Oct16

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UK Ministry of Finance source comments on Freeze of RT's bank accounts

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The freeze of the Russian television channel RT's bank accounts in Britain does not spell more sanctions against Russia, because such decisions are made at the level of banks where the company keeps its accounts, a source at the UK's Ministry of Finance has told TASS.

The ministry confirmed that since February 2015 the government had not imposed any new sanctions or obligations regarding Russia and that the banks were free to make decisions on the basis of their own analysis of the situation whether or not to provide services to particular clients.

Decisions to impose sanctions on individuals or companies are made by the European Council. Then it is up to individual EU members, in this particular case, Britain and its Ministry of Finance to decide how to implement this at the national level. After that the banks have to apply these rules, the source said.

RT's Editor-in-Chief, Margarita Simonyan, earlier tweeted that the TV network's bank accounts in the United Kingdom had been blocked. "Our bank accounts in the UK have been closed. All of our accounts. The decision is not subject for revision. Long live freedom of speech!" she wrote.

The National Westminster Bank has informed RT UK that it will no longer have the broadcaster among its clients, RT writes. The bank provided no explanation for the decision.

[Source: Itar Tass, London, 17Oct16]

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This document has been published on 18Oct16 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.