"Foreign agent is now like a quality mark"

What awaits the media-foreign agents after the hastily adopted law was signed by Putin

Photo: ru.USMBASSY.GOV

Instructions without punishment

On Saturday, November 25, amendments to the law on information that allowed foreign agents foreign media in Russia entered into force . These changes have been introduced as a “mirror response” to the demand of the US Department of Justice to recognize the company with a foreign agent that ensures the broadcasting of the RT channel. After the law was adopted by the State Duma (this happened on November 15), the Ministry of Justice sent letters “On the possible recognition of foreign agents” to the editors of “Voice of America”, “Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RSA / RS)”, and other projects of the American State Agency of BBG (the Council of Managers on Broadcasting).

After the law enters into force, the media will have to register with the Ministry of Justice and mark their publications with the “Foreign Agent” with a tag of fines, and then closing. When reports of the signing of the law Putin came, the General Director of BBG Dwon Lance in his official comment noted that the statements about the “mirror responsibility” diverge greatly with reality, and expressed the hope that the American media in Russia will have the same capabilities in the United States - after RT has been included in the register of foreign agents, the TV channel continues to work as usual ( more about how The activities of RT in America are arranged, read here ).

The foreign policy service of the European Union, in turn, said: “The legislation on foreign agents is against the obligations of the Russian Federation in the field of human rights. This is a new threat to freedom and independence of the media and access to information, another attempt to narrow the space for independent votes in Russia. ” ( NT has already talked about the reaction to the law in Russia).

NT interlocutors in the State Duma admit that the amendments signed by Putin were accepted in a hurry, as an urgent “mirror response” for an announcement by the RT in agent. However, as Senator Lyudmila Narusova noted - the only one who abstained when voting in the Federation Council - these amendments do not provide for either measures of liability or methods of coercion.

“Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code are needed, they are accepted for a long time, with mandatory reviews from the regions, but they have not even begun to discuss them yet,” says NT source in the lower house of parliament. According to him, the administrative and criminal codes should be prescribed measures of responsibility-what exactly can threaten the employees of Russian media-regents, if they will not obey: whether there will be fines, after what violations it is possible to suspend the activities and close the media. In addition, there should be the procedure for blocking sites and publics in social networks in cases where the media refuses to sign with the ino -agent. There is no such order either (simultaneously with the amendment on the media-foreign agents, an amendment was adopted to block sites of prohibited organizations, but this has nothing to do with foreign agents).

The amendments were made in a hurry, as an urgent “mirror response” for an announcement of RT. These amendments do not provide for either measures of responsibility or methods of coercion

It is also unclear whether there will be how to dramat the radio broadcasts of the media-foreign agents, if they again refuse to submit to the laws. Such work is now neither in the Duma nor in the Council of the Federation, according to NT, it is not conducted.

NT asked the leaders of the Russian NPOs how they have been living with the status of “foreign agents” for several years, and also found out what they expect in those media that can get such status. The latter spoke on the terms of anonymity - their leadership secretly banned any public comments on the new Russian law.

President of the Voerry Protection Fund Alexei Simonov: "The status of a foreign agent reduced our capabilities to a minimum"

The assignment of the state of vowel of the status of a foreign agent has led to the very serious consequences for the organization. Public opinion fluttered as if water had gone. In fact, a very serious mine was brought under our activities. We lost half of the applicant clients, and I, as a representative of my organization, became a stranger in society. Of course, those people who knew me before, with whom I had already established connections, they did not change their attitude towards me. But with the establishment of new contacts, we experience big problems.

“Now that I am coming to court and say that I am from the Fund for the Protection of Glasses, they immediately turn away from me, do not want to communicate with a“ foreign agent ”, I immediately hear:“ No, no, no ”

All these external signs are not at all tedious, except for the abundance of the name. I am 70 years old, and to wear the title of “foreign agent”, being a real patriot of my country, a winner of numerous awards received as a director, I offend me, it offends me.

Obtaining the status of a “foreign agent” reduced our capabilities to a minimum. I used to meet with judges, and with many of them I had a wonderful relationship. And they are still preserved. But now, when I come to court and say that I am from the Fund for the Protection of Glasses, they immediately turn away from me, do not want to communicate with a “foreign agent”, I immediately hear: “No, no, no.”

Another example - we conducted an investigation into schools, and before our organization, there were no problems in the register of foreign agents, but after they appeared, we are everywhere stumble upon refusing cooperation, direct or veiled.

And since we cannot work normally, our public significance also decreased to minimal numbers.

The law was written to reduce activity among non -profit organizations, in this regard, he fulfilled his task. This was not an attempt to destroy, but in this case it was not necessary.

What can I recommend the media? Since the law is formal, you need to try to fulfill a minimum set of requirements, and then work. It still will not be possible to protect yourself from all possible risks, because in this law there is so many meaningless terms and definitions that if you wish, you can fit anything under them.

Member of the Council of the Human Rights Center "Memorial" and the board of the International Society "Memorial" Alexander Cherkasov: "History is more likely bureaucratic than repressive"

Surprisingly, for five years now (since the adoption of the law on foreign agents) we have been completely living for us. Although at first it seemed that everything was over. Even before the adoption of the law on foreign agents, it was discussed in the community of non -governmental organizations. The decision came by itself: the boycott of the law. The law demanded to independently fit into the register of foreign agents - so to speak, bring a rope with him. So, no one began to do this.

For several months the situation hung, and then, in the spring of 2013, a massive wave of inspections went. In particular, in the Moscow Memorial organizations, the employees of the Ministry of Justice and the prosecutor's office seized copies of documents for 9,000 sheets (and this is not the limit). As a result, on April 30, 2013, the Memorial to the Human Rights Center was a warning - that we violate the law on foreign agents: we receive foreign money (which we did not hide) and engage in political activities. By political activity, we meant that we are conducting lists of political prisoners and monitoring of detentions at mass rallies. One could only rejoice at such a prosecutor’s representation in the 45th anniversary of the Chronicle of Current Events: we were claimed that we were doing the same as the editors of the Chronicle. And then nothing followed from this for a long time. It is important that a wave of inspections of 2013 subsided after international indignation.

We were in a state of lawsuit with the prosecutor’s office for more than a year - the meetings were postponed and postponed, the judges went on maternity leave ... So far in May 2014, amendments to the law were adopted, according to which the authorities themselves had to submit organizations to the lists of foreign agents, and not wait until people bring to themselves. And on July 21, 2014 we were entered into foreign agents.

Since then, another life has begun. Firstly, more reports, more load on the administrative apparatus, more load on lawyers who conduct “agency cases” in courts-more resources are spent not on the aid of those to whom we have taken up to help, but on survival. And secondly, fines for the fact that we do not mark our materials with the Foreign Agent label. In total, we were discharged 4 fines of 300 thousand rubles. We lost all the courts on these fines. In addition, there were also planned checks. The act of the first of them was completely marvelous and outlandish: it turned out that we undermined the basics of the constitutional system. The young employee of the Moscow Department of the Ministry of Justice tried to glory, although what was to undermine the foundations remained unclear. And this outlandish act for us had no consequences.

“This story is rather bureaucratic than repressive, except for the regular raids of good fellows under the flags of NOD or with NTV and REN -TV badges along with invisibly present operatives”

In September last year, the Black Tag came - a notification that if we do not label the materials “Foreign Agent” label, our activities will be suspended and the organization will be closed. The general meeting of the Memorial decided that survival and work are more important - and the following content appeared on our site: we were included in the register of foreign agents, we disagree with this, we will appeal in Strasbourg. Plus, there are many more information about our organization. This was satisfied with the Ministry of Justice. Since then we are waiting for what will happen next ( more about the results of the courts of the Memorial with the Ministry of Justice, read here ).

In general, this story is rather a bureaucratic than repressive, except for the regular raids of good fellows under the flags of the NOD or with NTV and REN TVs along with invisibly present operatives. The NTV film “Euro -Collekors”, whose authors were offended that we were convicted of the European Court of Human Rights, and were indignant that we were defending the rights of Muslims persecuted for the confession of their faith, in September 2017 was recognized as the propaganda commission on complaints on the press ( commission on complaints of the press - public organization. - NT). True, referring to this commission, we undertake to abandon the trial in our case.

That's how we live. However, it is not a fact that media can live like that. In comparison with them, we are relatively “harmless” and do not have such an impact. So, on the one hand, you need to be prepared for the fact that the survival horizons will be somewhat approaching. And on the other, who knows where this horizon is?

Leading employee Radio Liberty, on the terms of anonymity: "For local special services, the law may become a signal"

In general, the US authorities, recognizing RT by a foreign agent, put the American media in Russia in a very difficult situation. With the adoption of the law on media-foreign agents, she moves from the legal plane to the conceptual-unlike the United States, where both laws and courts work more clearly.

I was worried about whether the “freedom” as a not very turning institution could introduce a complex reporting system before the Ministry of Justice - after all, any formal violation will be able to entail a ban on work in Russia. However, in the leadership I was assured that this system would be created. The Russian viewer is very important for “freedom”, and we are not going to leave the market. So now my greatest concern is the work of our journalists in the regions. For local special services, the adoption of a law on the media-agents may become a signal in order to create problems with freedom correspondents. If this happens, you will have to draw up their reports without the withdrawal of authors into the frame and work more with stringers. But I hope that this will not happen.

“With the adoption of the law on media-ages, the situation with an inherent in Russia moves from the legal plane to the conceptual one-unlike the United States, where both laws and courts work more clearly”

In addition, if the law on media-foreign agents in Russia is introduced on the principle of symmetry, in response to the arrests of Russian journalists in the United States, journalists will have to arrest the same RT. It is unlikely that this is possible.

Oddly enough, in this situation there is a plus for us. In recent years, the Russian media are carefully killing. And we, remaining in the market outside the competitive field, automatically become quite good media against the background of those that remain. In 2010-2011, we would be a mediocre media. Now, a “foreign agent” is a quality mark, like a foreign car or imported clothes. And for the guests of our broadcasts, a visit to the Freedom Studio is a kind of frontal. In recent days, government officials and senators who have not been to us came on the air. Now it becomes prestigious for them.

Employee Marshu Radio (Chechen edition of Radio Liberty), on the condition of anonymity: "They do not intend to reduce acuteness"

Our Chechen faction was banned earlier, but in general, we are not used to the “Foreign Agent” label. Of course, it is unusual when they call on the official, Kadyrov and Kremlin level “traitors of the people”.

Our content is almost completely displayed via the Internet. If they block, we will create “mirrors” or other way to bring information to the audience. In the age of information, such things are not difficult. I do not think that Radio will suffer regarding viewing, listening and video communication. And it is hardly beneficial to the Kremlin to go to its political (and not only) competitions with the United States and common sense to go to the end. There is no fuss. It’s funny to us, and nothing more.

Russia, of course, does not accept the truth about itself. Neither official nor people. And as before the “fifty listening” “Radio Liberty” is a terrible passed.

We do not intend to reduce acuteness - we have no right not to debunk the dictatorship to our peoples, do not try to save them from horrors, secretly in the Russian Federation. Take the same Chechnya or Tatarstan, where human rights are being trampled day. We cannot talk about it. This is the good of American democracy, which helps us, Russians, to broadcast about the deplorableness of affairs in the Russian Federation.

( About the Sverion of the Law on Media-Ino-Agents- in the column of Fedor Krasheninnikov ).