EU condemns Russian 'Foreign Agent' media law
The EU asserted that the “foreign agent” media law, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 25th, runs counter to Russia’s obligations to uphold human rights and threatens “free and independent media.”
This is another attempt to hinder the development of a civil society in the country, said the European Union External Action on Sunday, November 26.
In Brussels, they are sure that as a result of “fines, checks, and the stigma” associated with the implementation of the law, “the scarce resources of non-governmental organizations” will be depleted even more.
The new bill proposes amendments to the articles of laws on information and media. According to the amendments, media outlets that receive funding from abroad can be recognized as “foreign agents,” similar to the law that was adopted in Russian in 2012 regarding the status of non-profit organizations. This status implies that the organization must report to the authorities about such things as the funds it receives. The Russian Ministry of Justice will determine which organizations are considered “foreign agents.”