The State Duma supported amendments to recognize citizens with foreign agents

The State Duma deputies at a meeting on January 12 adopted a bill in the first reading, which provides for the recognition of media individuals - foreign agents. The broadcast of the meeting is on the Duma site.

For the adoption of amendments, 333 deputies voted, against - one, abstained - one. The Communist Party of the Communist Party, LDPR and Fair Russia did not vote .

An individual who receives foreign financing and publicly disseminates information may be recognized as a foreign agent. Interfax recalls that the chairman of the Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Leonid Levin previously said that we can talk about financing "in those countries where there is a restriction on the work of the Russian media." In the bill approved on January 12, there is no such provision, but, according to Levin, "it may be in by -laws."

In accordance with the bill, the media - foreign agents are obliged to create a legal entity in Russia and mark their products accordingly. Moreover, both media and users of social networks when distributing such materials should indicate that they took information from a foreign agent.

“This provision applies to all information resources, from television channels and print media to users of social networks, medical or culinary sites,” said the Vice Speaker of the State Duma Petr Tolstoy, one of the authors of the amendments.

According to Tolstoy, "the law is framed in nature" and "does not introduce censorship." Any information of the media - a foreign agent can be distributed, but with the appropriate marking.

In November 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the media law - foreign agents. He was prepared by the State Duma in response to the actions of the US authorities, which forced the Russian RT channel to register as a foreign agent. The status of a foreign agent has already received the Voice of America, Radio Liberty and seven more projects “Radio Liberty” working for the Russian audience: Caucasus. Realia, Crimea. Realities, the present, Siberia. Reals, Tatar-Bashkir service “Radio Liberty”, “IDEL. REALIAL”.