![]() ![]() The amendments also appear to be pushback against the US Justice Department, which in 2017 required the Russia-funded channel RT America to register as a foreign agent. The Russian lawmakers said they were responding to foreign agent laws in other countries, pointing to the case of Maria Butina, the Russian gun-rights activist deported from the United States in October after being convicted of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government. ![]() Bloggers have an important role in informing public opinion in Russia and this is an attempt to control this inconvenient source of information,” they write. “It will also become a strong tool to silence opposition voices. “It will have a serious effect on international media cooperation with Russia because any involvement with a foreign outlet will put journalists at risk of being labeled ‘foreign agents,’” the groups write. Groups including Human Rights Watch and Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement that the law “will have a detrimental impact on the already restrictive environment for independent journalism in Russia.” ![]() These platforms have long been considered open and safe for political debate. This could deal a serious blow to Russia’s active blogosphere and social media environment. “If someone writes certain stories related to the socio-political situation, then risks possibly appearing ,” Russian lawmaker Leonid Levin told TASS.īut because of the measure’s vague wording, it could be applied to individuals who distribute suspect content. “The new norms allow the Russian government to block websites of foreign agents or legal entities established by them in case the information published by foreign media outlets violates Russian regulations,” the official TASS Russian newswire explains. The new amendments seem devised to heighten that anxiety. Russians don’t generally face outright censorship online, but they fear legal consequences for posting messages that could be perceived as anti-government. Russian lawmakers passed the amendments in recent weeks despite opposition from activists, public figures, and international critics, who argued that the new restrictions would further stifle free speech. Now, individuals who publish anything online and receive any money from foreign sources will face the same legal obstacles.Įarlier this month, President Vladimir Putin signed into law several legislative amendments that will require individuals to register with Russia’s Justice Ministry as foreign agents if they publish, “printed, audio, audiovisual, or other reports and materials” while also receiving money from foreign governments, foreign organizations – or even simply foreign citizens. The office of a Russian NGO defaces with the words "foreign agent." Credit: Memorialįor the past eight years, non-profit groups in Russia have contended with a law branding them as “foreign agents” if they accept even nominal funding from abroad and engage in so-called “political activity,” levying fines and confronting them with bureaucratic hurdles that have often forced them to shut down. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |