Putin signed a law on fines of up to half a million rubles for “illegal” election campaigning

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing the Central Election Commission and regional commissions to require Roskomnadzor to block materials produced in violation of election law (for example, campaigning on the "day of silence" or the publication of opinion polls on the eve of elections). The documents are published on the official Internet portal of legal information.

According to the law, site owners will have to delete information within a day after the request of Roskomnadzor. Otherwise, sites will be blocked until the requirements are met. The bill also provides for blocking access to materials produced with the participation of international organizations and foreigners.

The President also signed into law a law providing for fines for violating the rules of campaigning. Now individuals face a fine of 5 to 20 thousand rubles, officials - from 30 to 50 thousand rubles, legal entities - from 100 to 500 thousand rubles.

Amendments were made to the federal laws "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation" and "On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection". An explanatory note to the document during its consideration in the State Duma said that in connection with the development of the Internet, election commissions needed a “tool to control” the distribution of “illegal” campaign materials.

CEC Secretary Maya Grishina previously stated that the law refers to “planned, funded campaigning actions paid not from the candidate’s election fund,” commented on the bill. “It is obvious that here (there is a place - ed. ) is a negative influence that needs to be limited,” she assured.