Russian State Duma passes bill on banning foreign media for spreading ‘fake news’ and ‘blatantly disrespecting’ Russia

The Russian State Duma (the lower chamber of parliament) has approved the third and final reading of the bill that gives the Russian prosecutor general or his deputies the right to shut down foreign media without a court ruling “in case of hostile decisions regarding Russian media outlets abroad”, the Duma website reports.

The Prosecutor General’s Office will also be granted the right to revoke the licences of media outlets that are spreading “unlawful and dangerous information”, “fake news”, as well as messages expressing “blatant disrespect towards society, the state, the Russian Constitution” and information “aimed to discredit the Russian Armed Forces.” The decision to revoke the licence will be sent to Russia’s censorship agency Roskomnadzor.

If the media outlet corrects the “violations” within 3 to 6 months, it can resume its work if it receives an approval from Roskomnadzor.

The lawmakers are also offering to make changes to the law on mass media: according to the new bill, reporters will be liable for spreading “fake news” about the Russian army.

Reporters and foreign correspondents may lose their accreditation in case of “unfriendly acts” and restrictions targeting Russian media outlets, the bill notes.

The bill was put forward on 6 April by members of the Duma Commission on the Investigation of Foreign Interference in Russia's Internal Affairs.