New legislation aims to ban ‘extremist’ foreign media

New legislation would strip foreign media outlets of the right to operate in Russia, if they’re caught violating existing laws against extremism.

Vedomosti newspaper has learned that members of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications (Minkomsvyaz) have received amendments to Russia’s media laws that would make it even easier to ban foreign publications. Ministry officials have until February 16 to review the amendments.

The draft legislation sets out new conditions for revoking Russian operating rights for foreign mass media outlets. Current Russian law, as stated in the new legislation’s explanatory note, stipulates media outlets’ need for an operating license, but specifies no grounds for denying permission or revoking a previously issued license, when it comes to foreign publications. (The law already includes these stipulations for domestic media, however.)

Under the proposed amendments, foreign publications could be denied operating rights in Russia, if they’re found to have published false information or content that violates laws against extremism. The legislation would empower Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media oversight state agency, to revoke a foreign media outlet’s license, if it breaks the law against extremism.

The bill defines foreign media outlets as publications not registered in Russia, whose founders or editorial boards reside abroad, including any media outlets funded by foreign governments, businesses, or individuals.

The amendments’ specific authors remain unknown, though Vedomosti’s sources say the legislation was prepared by officials at Minkomsvyaz, whose press service has refused to give any comment on the issue. On the Ministry’s website, there is a similar legislative project archived since June 2012 that proposes grounds for denying licenses to foreign media outlets, also for violating the law against extremism.

Grounds for refusing to issue a license [for operating inside Russia] could include the publication of false information, the pre-existence of another outlet with an identical name, or the outlet’s failure to observe laws prohibiting extremism.

Since its adoption in July 2002, the law against extremism has been amended and expanded repeatedly, including revisions that extended its application to the mass media. In 2014 alone, the law was amended three times: in June, July, and August.

In September 2014, Russia adopted a law limiting foreign ownership of mass media outlets to 20 percent, and prohibiting foreigners from being the founders of mass media outlets. The norms laid out in this law will be introduced on January 1, 2016. Media owners will have until February 1, 2017, to comply with the new requirements.