MOSCOW, October 24 (RAPSI) – Ukrainian police have searched the offices of companies that broadcast Russian TV channels, seized their accounts and confiscated their digital media, Ukrainian Interior Ministry said in a statement released Friday.

Searches have been conducted at the Association of Russian TV Channels, which allegedly represents Russia’s Channel One, Torsat, which has exclusive rights to broadcast Russian television in Ukraine, and Sattelecom, which is responsible for the technical aspects of Russian television broadcasts in Ukraine.

In March, Ukraine’s National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council instructed cable operators to stop broadcasting Russian TV channels Rossiya 24, Channel One Global Network, RTR-Planeta and NTV Mir.

In June, these channels filed a motion with the Kiev Court of Appeals to overturn the decision of a Kiev district court to suspend the hearing of the lawsuit they filed to revoke the temporary suspension of the channels.

The Kiev Administrative District Court was hearing the lawsuit filed by the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council to suspend the broadcasts of the above four channels by Torsat.

The Russian Foreign Ministry described the suspension of Russian TV channels as a violation of the freedom of the media. Channel One CEO Konstantin Ernst urged the Ukrainian authorities to revoke their decision as “contradicting the standards of international law and the interests of subscribers.”