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Up to 15 years in prison for those who spread false news about the Russian army
Exaggerated fines and prison sentences will fall to those who spread "false information" about Russia's armed forces.
This was determined by the Russian authorities after, this Friday, they published the official statement indicating the sanctions for those who commit this "crime".
This measure is a way of trying to reduce the intensity of the internal pressure suffered by the Kremlin in the midst of the war with Ukraine.
The congressmen of the lower house of Parliament in Russia ( the Duma ) unanimously approved a resolution that stipulates sentences of up to 15 years in prison for those who divulge information that discredits the Russian army.
Another of the resolutions that was approved this Friday establishes sanctions for those who request "sanctions for Russia."
Currently, the country is undergoing harsh economic sanctions by the international community, as a result of its invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions are applicable both to the media and to individuals.
The discussion by the Russian Upper House is still pending, if it is approved, it would be a reinforcement for the information war that the Kremlin has developed since the beginning of the conflict.
Alexander Jinshtein, president of the Commission for Information Policy, pointed out that this new law will apply to all people, not just Russian citizens.
With the main mission of exercising more control over the information received by the inhabitants of Russia, the authorities magnify the pressure received by the few independent media outlets that continue to operate in the country.
media censorship
Roskomnadzor, the Russian media regulator, announced this Friday that access to the websites of the BBC network and the German radio and television agency Deutsche Welle had been limited.
In addition, Facebook users have reported complications accessing their profiles.
The famous Ekho Moskyv radio station announced its closure after being pressured and threatened by the Russian authorities for covering the conflict in Ukraine.
The opposition television network in Russia, Dojd, announced the suspension of its signal after the blockades suffered by Roskomnadzor, also for covering the invasion.
The Znak news portal notified the cancellation of its signal due to "all the restrictions that the media in Russia have suffered."
The important cultural agenda in Moscow, The Village, closed its office in the Russian capital and moved it to Warsaw in Poland.
Also, the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, prohibited the Russian media from referring to the invasion with the terms “war” or “invasion”.
Protests in Russia
In a Moscow elementary school, several children were detained by Russian police forces after the children delivered flowers to the Ukrainian embassy, as a sign of respect for the war provoked by Russia.
Currently, there have been more than 7,000 arrests in Russia, due to anti-war protests. On Tuesday, a total of 324 people were arrested around 30 Russian cities, during anti-war demonstrations.
According to the OVD-Info Organization, about 130 detainees are in St. Petersburg.
In second place is Moscow, with just over 100 arrests, and other cities such as Novosibirsk or Ufa share the rest of the day's detainees.
With these arrests, more than 7,000 people deprived of liberty are registered in all, just for protesting against the military invasion in Ukraine initiated by the Kremlin, a week ago.
Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for the immediate release of all those arrested. In addition, he demanded that human rights and freedom of expression be respected in Russia.
