Court orders halting America's Voice

VOA has labelled the administration's movements to close the broadcaster.

Judge Royce Lambert decided on April 23rd on issuing a preliminary order that says officials should take all necessary steps” to restore employees and collaborators to their positions in the VOA and return the funds, approved by Congress, for the other two broadcasters funded by the US government Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Network and resume broadcasts on radio, television and internet.

Lambert, who is handling six indictments by employees and collaborators affected by the closure ordered by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees federal broadcasters, also ordered the media to submit monthly progress reports, to show whether the USAGM is implementing the order to allow “to allow those constantly reliable, accurate, objective and inclusive reports of<62>.

Last month, the VOA filed charges against the Trump administration, following the administration through an executive order instructed it USAGM and six other federal agencies to reduce their jobs to the minimum required by law.

Next, USAGM sent more than 1,000 employees on vacation and suspended contracts with about 600 associates, forcing the VOA, for the first time since its founding in 1942, to stop broadcasting.

U n SAGM had argued on this issue there is no “a final decision” regarding the future of the VOA and that the indictments should be treated as “employment disputes” with employees dismissed.

Free Europe Radio has also filed lawsuits against USAGM to assess the irreparable damage” against broadcasters due to the suspension of Congress-endorsed grants SAGM to cut REL funding.

The case of Radio Free Europe is still being handled by the tribunal.