First modification:
The regulations will punish what the authorities consider to be untrue information about the work of Russian institutions abroad. This is a measure similar to the one approved in early March on the actions of the Russian Armed Forces in the context of the war in Ukraine.
The amendments are part of a series of measures undertaken by Moscow in a context in which the UN and media around the world denounce that the Kremlin seeks to control what is reported inside the country about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The legislation, as amended, will punish citizens or groups of people who spread what Russian authorities consider “fake news” about the actions of Russian institutions. The consequences could be fines of up to 5 million rubles, the equivalent of $48,077, or up to 15 years in prison.
If the crime is committed by a person -or group- who is considered to have abused their position or acted with “artificial evidence”, for “profit” or “for reasons of hatred or political, ideological, racial, national or religious,” the fine would range from 3 million rubles (about $28,846) to 5 million rubles (about $48,077). In this case, the prison sentence could be between 5 and 10 years.
A similar law was passed in early March on the development of the war in Ukraine and in particular on the actions of the Russian Armed Forces, with a punishment of up to 180 months in prison.
An “information blackout”
UN human rights experts had already considered the law approved in March as a Kremlin measure to blindfold the population inside Russia, regarding the offensive against the neighboring country.
The specialists appointed by the UN Human Rights Council pointed out at the time that the measure subjected Russia to a “total information blackout on the war.”
Since its implementation, the Russian and foreign media in Russia have vetoed the word “invasion”, since the official version and that of President Vladimir Putin describes the intervention in Ukraine as a “special military operation”.
Another consequence of its approval was the departure of renowned international media from Russian territory or the blocking of social networks such as Facebook. The law has had a “chilling effect that has forced some media outlets to self-censor their reporting on the war in Ukraine,” said the UN appointees.
“By restricting reporting and blocking access to information on the Internet, the authorities are not only stifling the last vestiges of independent and pluralistic media in Russia, they are also depriving the population of their right to access various news and opinions at this critical time when millions of Russians legitimately want to know more about the situation in Ukraine,” the experts concluded.
After the creation of the regulations, networks such as the British BBC, the American CNN or the German DW announced that they would interrupt their broadcast from Russia for fear of endangering their journalists.
with EFE
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