Decision From Russia: Shutting Down Foreign News Agencies

The Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, approved the law allowing the closure of foreign news outlets in Russia after Western countries shut down Russian state news outlets following Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.

Decision From Russia. The lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, has approved the law authorizing prosecutors to close the offices of these news organizations due to the “hostile behavior” of foreign news organizations in Russia after Western countries closed the offices of Russian state news organizations after Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.

According to the draft law, the accreditation of journalists affiliated with the closed foreign news organizations will also be cancelled.

“In the current geopolitical situation, the mass media has become an instrument of influence on the knowledge status of society,” said Duma deputies regarding the bill. Russian deputy Andrey Lugovoy said in a statement regarding the approved bill, “We will be able to respond in the same way to the actions of Western states against Russian media outlets. We can observe how Russian media outlets broadcasting in western countries in the last 2 months have been stopped illegally and categorically against common sense because they are afraid of the truth.”

Lugoyov also reminded that, according to this draft law, the attorney general and his deputies have the right to revoke or terminate the broadcasting licenses of these media outlets.

The bill, passed by the Duma at first reading, also prohibits the distribution of articles or other materials by news outlets that have been shut down by the prosecution. For the bill to enter into force, it must be approved by the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, and then signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On the other hand, last March, Putin signed a law that gives up to 15 years in prison for those who deliberately spread “fake” news about the Russian military.