Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed into law new rules on international media organizations present in Russia being termed “foreign agents,” following US pressure on the Kremlin-backed RT television channel.
The 2012 law, which had applied only to non-governmental organizations, has been formally extended.
Already approved by both houses of the Russian parliament, the legislation was published on the Russian authorities’ official Web site and came into force immediately.
The law allows any international media outlet operating in Russia to be classified under the controversial foreign agent label by the Russian Ministry of Justice.
The law is in retaliation to the US registering Moscow-controlled RT television by the same term.
The channel earlier this month registered under the US’ Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires registration by people or companies disseminating information in the US on behalf of foreign governments.
The Kremlin’s council for human rights has denounced the Russian bill, saying it was vaguely worded and difficult to reasonably enforce.
“Any foreign media could be labeled a foreign agent quite arbitrarily by the justice ministry of the Russian Federation,” the council said in a statement.
Highly criticized by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, US and other foreign media will have to present themselves as foreign agents on all paperwork, and submit to intensive scrutiny of staffing and financing.
The Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, funded by the US Congress, are the first foreign media to have been warned by Moscow they might need to register under the new classification.
Additional reporting by AP
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