Accessibility links

Breaking News

Lawmaker Says Media Rejecting 'Foreign Agent' Label Would 'Stop Working' In Russia


Russian Duma deputy Petr Tolstoi (file photo)
Russian Duma deputy Petr Tolstoi (file photo)

Foreign-funded media outlets that refuse to register as foreign agents under legislation drafted by Russian lawmakers will be ejected from the country, a senior legislator says.

Foreign-funded media outlets that refuse to register as foreign agents under legislation drafted by Russian lawmakers will be ejected from the country, a senior legislator says.

State Duma deputy speaker Pyotr Tolstoi described the draft legislation to the Interfax news agency on November 14, a day after state-funded Russian channel RT announced that it had registered under the U.S. foreign agent law.

Moscow alleges that RT and state-funded news agency Sputnik have come under increasing pressure in the United States in the past year, and has vowed to respond by targeting U.S. media in Russia.

In the weeks since RT said the U.S. Justice Department had instructed it to register under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), Russia has been working on legislation that would enable it to designate foreign-funded media "foreign agents."

Amendments that would serve that purpose "are ready," Interfax quoted Tolstoi, who was tapped by Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin last week to coordinate the efforts in the lower parliament house, as saying.

As Tolstoi described them, the amendments to Russian legislation governing the media would enable the government to label any foreign-based or foreign-funded media outlet a "foreign agent."

Media outlets that are "registered in another state or receive financial or other resources from foreign structures...or from Russian companies with foreign financing may be deemed foreign agents regardless of their organizational or legal form," he said.

Tolstoi said that media outlets that refuse requests to register "will stop working on the territory of the Russian Federation."

Russian news agencies cited Tolstoi as saying the Duma could pass the amendments on November 15 and send them to the upper house, which has promised to address them swiftly. They would then go to President Vladimir Putin for final approval.

The scope of Russia's current "foreign agents" law, which Kremlin critics and civil-society activists say has been used to silence dissent and discourage a free exchange of ideas, does not include media outlets.

A senior lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party, Andrei Isayev, said on November 13 that Radio/Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Voice of America (VOA), CNN, and German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle were among media organizations that could be declared foreign agents in Russia once the legislation is in place.

The developments come as ties between the United States and Russia continue to be severely strained over issues including Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine and its alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on November 14 that "our relations are degrading day after day" and "have reached the lowest point in recent decades," but added that "we still have contacts and can discuss certain issues."

RT and Sputnik have been accused by U.S. intelligence agencies of spreading disinformation as part of a Russian government effort to influence the election.

U.S. officials say that Russian law regarding foreign agents differs from FARA, which was passed in 1938 specifically to counter fears of Nazi propaganda and disinformation being spread in the United States.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said last month that the need for registration under FARA "is simply triggered when an entity or an individual engages in political activity."

Russia's moves to take action against U.S. media come ahead of a March 2018 presidential election in which Putin is widely expected to seek a new six-year term.

The Kremlin's control over the media and political levers, along with his popularity, make his victory a foregone conclusion, but he would be constitutionally barred from running again in 2024.

With reporting by Interfax , RIA, and TASS

Related

  • NPR: Russia's 'Foreign Agent' Law Targets Journalists, Activists, Even Ordinary Citizens (July 31, 2021)
  • The Washington Post | Josh Rogin, "Biden should tell Putin to stop harassing U.S. news organizations in Russia" (June 15, 2021)
  • The Atlantic, "The Cost of Trump After Trump" (June 15, 2021)
  • NPR, "5 Things To Watch At The Biden-Putin Summit" (June 14, 2021)
  • American Purpose, "Defending Journalists against Gangsters" (June 14, 2021)
  • The Washington Post | Editorial: "Biden’s test in Europe: Drawing red lines with Putin and Erdogan" (June 12, 2021)
  • The Washington Post | Sen. Jim Risch: "Biden wants Russia’s cooperation. But Putin thrives on chaos." (June 11, 2021)
  • Newsweek | Ilan Berman, "Four Priorities For The Biden-Putin Summit" (June 10, 2021)
  • European Parliament | Resolution, "The listing of German NGOs as 'undesirable organisations' by Russia and the detention of Andrei Pivovarov" (June 10, 2021)
  • U.S. Mission to the OSCE, "On Shrinking Space for Civil Society in Russia" (June 10, 2021)
  • Novaya Gazeta, "«Эвакуация» «Свободы». 30 лет спустя" (June 8, 2021)
  • Voice of America, "Russia Using Foreign Agent Law to Attack Journalism, Media Say" (June 10, 2021)
  • Senate Foreign Relations Committee | Hearing: “U.S. Policy on Belarus” (June 8, 2021)
  • The Dispatch, "How Moscow Is Threatening Radio Free Europe and the Remnants of the Independent Press" (Jun 1, 2021)
  • Columbia Journalism Review | Joel Simon, "Repression and Reciprocity in Russia" (May 25, 2021)
  • The Washington Post editorial, "Russia’s attack on U.S. media has become a test case" (May 21, 2021)
  • The New York Times, Kremlin Escalates Fight With U.S.-Funded Journalists, Officials Say (May 20, 2021)
  • Axios World, "Radio Free Europe fights to continue operations in Russia" (May 20, 2021)
  • NPR, "Russia Cracks Down On U.S. Broadcaster RFE/RL" (May 15, 2021)
  • AP, "Russian bailiffs show up at US broadcaster’s office" (May 14, 2021)
  • Reuters, "Russia freezes Moscow bank accounts of U.S. broadcaster RFE/RL" (May 14, 2021)
  • Deutsche Welle, "Russia freezes bank accounts of US broadcaster RFE/RL" (May 15, 2021)
  • Moscow Times, "Moscow Bailiffs Visit RFE/RL Newsroom Over ‘Foreign Agent’ Fines" (May 14, 2021)
  • International Press Institute, "Media face financial ruin under Russian 'foreign agent' law" (May 10, 2021)
  • The Washington Post editorial, "The ominous lessons Putin is learning from Xi Jinping" (May 7, 2021)
  • The Guardian, "Kremlin bears down on Moscow bureau of US-funded radio station" (May 5, 2021)
  • The Washington Examiner, opinion by Ted Lipien on Russia's campaign against RFE/RL (May 3, 2021)
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentions RFE/RL in World Press Freedom Day statement (May 2, 2021)
  • U.S. State Department spokesman on RFE/RL in Russia (Apr 29, 2021)
  • U.S. Mission to OSCE on RFE/RL in Russia (Apr 29, 2021)
  • The Washington Post editorial, on RFE/RL, Meduza and the "foreign agent" law (Apr 26, 2021)
  • The Power Vertical podcast - RFE/RL's Jamie Fly and Kiryl Sukhotski on "“Truth, Lies, And Foreign Agents: The Kremlin’s War On RFE/RL"
  • The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum on Putin's rationale for forcing RFE/RL out of Russia (Apr 22, 2021)
  • AP on RFE/RL's petition for "interim measures" at the ECtHR (Apr 16, 2021)
  • Reuters on RFE/RL's petition for "interim measures" at the ECtHR (Apr 16, 2021)
  • AFP on RFE/RL's petition for "interim measures" at the ECtHR (Apr 16, 2021)
  • AlJazeera on RFE/RL's petition for "interim measures" at the ECtHR (Apr 16, 2021)
  • Foreign Podicy podcast (FDD) - RFE/RL's Jamie Fly and Andrey Shary on "Putin vs. The Press" (Apr 10, 2021)
  • Reuters on Russia's pressure on RFE/RL (Apr 7, 2021)
  • AFP (via The Moscow Times) on Russia's pressure on RFE/RL (Apr 7, 2021)
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, following meeting with USAGM Acting CEO Kelu Chao, on RFE/RL in Russia (Apr 6, 2021)
  • U.S, Agency For Global Media, following meeting with Secretary of State Blinken, on RFE/RL in Russia (Apr 6, 2021)
  • The Washington Post writes about the "foreign agent" law and its impact on Russian NGO's and RFE/RL (Apr 3, 2021)
  • U.S. Mission to OSCE on RFE/RL in Russia (Mar 18, 2021)
  • EU Mission to OSCE on RFE/RL in Russia (Mar 18, 2021)
  • Reporters Without Borders on RFE/RL in Russia (Mar 16, 2021)
  • U.S. Senators on RFE/RL in Russia (Mar 12, 2021)
  • U.S. State Department spokesman on RFE/RL in Russia (Mar 3, 2021)
  • The Washington Post editorializes about RFE/RL in Russia (Feb 12, 2021)
  • The New York Times, "Russia Pushes U.S.-Funded News Outlet Toward Exit" (Jan 21, 2021)
  • U.S. Members of Congress on RFE/RL in Russia (Jan 21, 2021)​
  • Committee to Protect Journalists on RFE/RL and Russia's expanded "foreign agent" law (Jan 14, 2021)
XS
SM
MD
LG