Two weeks after Putin signed a law restricting journalists' election-day access, the Duma backpedals

Russian lawmakers have introduced legislation to revoke a law that was signed by Vladimir Putin just two weeks ago that denies journalists free access to voting areas during elections. That law, signed on March 9, restricts voting area access to reporters with advanced accreditation and at least two months experience working for a registered media outlet. 

According to the State Duma deputies who introduced the new legislation, Russia's Constitution guarantees the country's citizens a free press. The bill's authors say journalists should have unfettered access to voting areas, including the right to record videos. According to the bill, reporters would only need to inform election officials about their activities (not ask permission).

Just as Duma lawmakers look to backpedal on these recent election-day regulations, a new trade union for Russian journalists made a similar appeal, asking the parliament's legislators and Mikhail Fedotov, the chairman of the Kremlin's Human Rights Council, to restore reporters' access to voting areas during elections.