Voice of America and Radio Liberty declared foreign agents in Russia

Photo: depositphotos.com

Russia formally announced Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and Voice of America by foreign agents. Other publications also appeared in the list: the Present Time TV channel, the Tatar-Bashkir service Radio Azvoda (AzatliqRadiosi), Siberia. Realities ”,“ Idel. Realities ”,“ Factograph ”,“ Caucasus. Realities ”,“ Crimea. Realities. This is reported on the site Ministry of Justice of Russia.

A message from the Department of Justice, posted on the agency’s website, states that it officially recognized Voice of America and 7 funded information projects of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, funded by the US government, working in Russian or local languages, foreign agent. "

According to "Voice of America", the assignment of such status extends to the US-supported media the requirements for non-governmental organizations that receive funding from abroad, in accordance with the law 2012 of the year.

In accordance with this law, “foreign agents” must include in any information that they publish or distribute to the Russian audience, mention of the status of a “foreign agent”.

They must also submit information for inclusion in the government registry, provide regular reports on funding sources, goals, spending and guidance.

Authorities can also conduct surprise checks to ensure that they comply with these rules, in accordance with the 2012 law of the year, which has forced some NCOs to close.

One of the seven media outlets included in the list of the Ministry of Justice publishes news about the Crimea annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, one is about Siberia, and another about the predominantly Muslim North Caucasus.

Others include the media covering the life of the Russian province, an Internet TV channel, a website dedicated to Tatarstan, as well as a news portal checking the facts in statements by Russian officials.

In response to the order of the Ministry of Justice, President of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Tom Kent, stressed that, as a result of this decision, “the activities of our organization in Russia may be subject to even greater restrictions. There is no specific information about these restrictions. ”

“We will closely monitor all reports from the Ministry of Justice and other Russian authorities concerning our company. At the same time, we remain committed to continuing our journalistic work in the interests of providing accurate and objective information to our Russian-speaking audience, ”added the President of RFE / RL.

Earlier, the new Russian law has already been criticized by the US State Department.

A statement by the representative of the US Department of State, Heather Neuert, circulated on November 28, warned that “the extension of the law on foreign agents to the media would initiate burdensome requirements that could further stifle free speech and editorial independence in Russia.

The statement noted that freedom of expression, including freedom of speech and the media, even those that may be inconvenient to the government, is one of the fundamental human rights that Russia has pledged to respect.

Recall that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in early September interrogated a former correspondent for the Russian news agency Sputnik in the White House, an American by Andrew Feinberg. This happened as part of an investigation into whether the channel acts as an unofficial propaganda hand of the Kremlin in violation of the 1938 Registration of Foreign Agents Act (FARA), originally directed against Nazi propaganda.

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