On March 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on liability for fakes about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces. For spreading fakes, a fine of up to 5 million rubles is threatened. or imprisonment for up to 15 years.
Also, liability in the form of a fine from 30 thousand to 100 thousand rubles. provided for discrediting the Armed Forces. Calls for sanctions are punishable by either a fine of 500,000 rubles or imprisonment for up to three years, with a possible fine of up to 200,000 rubles.
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The speaker of the Federation Council of Russia, Valentina Matvienko, explained the need to introduce new articles into the Criminal Code as an information war against Russia. “Huge propaganda and technological forces are thrown against us, so we need laws. They are harsh, but the time is now, and time obliges us, ”she said.
In addition, the State Duma on March 22 immediately adopted in the second and third readings a bill introducing criminal liability for disseminating false information about government agencies operating abroad. Fines will amount to 5 million rubles, the maximum term of imprisonment – up to 15 years.
Deputy General Secretary of the Party, Chairman of the Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications Alexander Hinshteyshn noted that everyone who defends Russia’s interests abroad must be reliably protected from “any provocations, lies and “darkness”. “Let’s say our embassies, trade missions and diplomatic missions. Or – representative offices of Rossotrudnichestvo, ”he specified.
Since February 24, Russia has been conducting a special military operation to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine. The Russian authorities call its goals the protection of the population of Donbass from “genocide” and the prevention of a threat to Russia’s security from the West. Kyiv responded by terminating diplomatic relations with Moscow and declaring martial law.