The International Press Institute (IPI) global network expresses severe concerns over a move by the Russian State Duma to develop a bill which would see journalists potentially imprisoned for publishing “false information” about the country’s armed forces.
Under the bill, the development of which was approved by chairman of the State Duma on February 28, anyone found guilty of knowingly disseminating information which “distorts the purpose, role and tasks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as other formations during special military and other operations” could face criminal sanctions.
If the law is passed, it would mean journalists deemed to have published false information about the Russian invasion of Ukraine could face criminal punishment including up to 15 years in prison. It is understood the law would include reporting on the number of military casualties suffered by Russian armed forces. The draft bill has yet to be submitted to the State Duma but could be discussed as early as on March 4.
“As Russia continues its war of aggression in Ukraine, its government and state-controlled regulators are moving to silence all independent reporting which dares to tell the truth about the horrific human cost of the conflict”, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen. “If passed, this law on so-called false information about the armed forces would add to an already restrictive web of legislation passed in recent years which limits the ability of media to carry out public interest journalism critical of the government.
“It is not hard to see how this law could immediately lead to the criminalization of journalists reporting on military losses, on the human rights abuses and potential war crimes of the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian people, or any other information authorities would rather keep out of view of its citizens. It would also have a serious chilling effect on what remains of independent journalism in Russia, which has already undergone the biggest crackdown in more than a decade in the past year and a half.”
Griffen noted that in recent days, Russia’s Ministry of Defence and the country’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, have accused multiple media outlets including Echo Moscow and Novaya Gazeta, whose editor-in-chief is Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, of spreading “false information” about the war and injuries of Ukrainian civilians by the armed forces.
