Journalist Sergei Parkhomenko was fined for the second time under a “foreign agent” article

The Tverskoy District Court fined journalist Sergei Parkhomenko for the second time under the article on failure to fulfill duties assigned in connection with the status of a “foreign agent” (Part 1 of Article 19.34.1 of the Administrative Code). The information on the Moscow City Court website was noticed by Roskomsvoboda.

The amount of the fine is not yet known.

On July 8, Parkhomenko was fined 10 thousand rubles under the same article due to the fact that he did not indicate in his messages and videos that he was performing the functions of a “foreign agent.” This decision has not yet entered into force.

If a person held accountable under an administrative article for failure to fulfill “foreign agency duties” commits an offense again, he can be prosecuted under Part 2 of Art. 19.34.1 of the Administrative Code, which provides for fines of up to 50 thousand rubles. After this penalty comes into force, a new failure to comply with the requirements of the law on “foreign agents” may result in criminal liability under Part 2 of Art. 330.1 of the Criminal Code, which provides for up to two years in prison.

Parkhomenko was added to the register of “foreign agents” on April 22.

• At the end of December 2020, the State Duma adopted changes to the legislation on “foreign agents”. According to new clarifications, the status of “foreign agent” can be obtained by an individual engaged in political activities and receiving money for this from abroad. Another bill prohibits the dissemination in the media of information from “foreign agents” without a special mark. Tightening of legislation continued in 2021 and 2022 .