YouTube Suspends Besogon Channel by Nikita Mikhalkov

A well-known video platform, YouTube, has suspended the channel of the Russian filmmaker and head of the Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation, Nikita Mikhalkov, who runs the program Besogon. The channel, which previously drew a substantial audience, reportedly housed around 1.6 million subscribers before it was suddenly disabled. The restriction was publicly stated as a suspension due to multiple or serious violations of YouTube’s policies concerning discriminatory speech, according to a message left on the deleted Besogon channel. This development underscores ongoing tensions around content moderation and political discourse on major global platforms, particularly for figures who regularly comment on national and international events. (Source: YouTube notice on the suspended channel.)