BATTLEFORWORLD – November 15, 2017: Over the many months intensified by the US presidential election giving Donald Trump the win, the corporate media has been pushing none-stop the narrative about Russian meddling in the US election and blaming the Russian news channel RT for playing an important role. This led to the U.S. Department of Justice enacting the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) labeling Russian news outlets operating in the USA as “Foreign Agents.”
After the U.S. Department of Justice enacted the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), the Russian State Duma also drafted an equivalent law for passing, labeling US news outlets in Russia and organizations funded by the US Government operating in Russia as “Foreign Agents”. So what both laws have done is label each other’s news outlets as “Foreign Agents” with guidelines to follow.
References – Links:
[ Russian Lawmaker Suggests Moscow May Classify CNN as Foreign Agent | RT expects American media to face same restrictions in Russia as RT in US | Russian MPs pass foreign agent bill for media in ‘mirror response’ to US | Russia’s Duma passes media bill amid “foreign agent” spat with U.S. | Russia’s RT America registers as ‘foreign agent’ in U.S. ]
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RT America’s ‘foreign agent’ registration driven by error-riddled intel report, DOJ admits
RT – December 21, 2017: The US Department of Justice based its decision to demand RT America register as a foreign agent on the intelligence community’s report accusing RT of influencing the 2016 election, a DOJ official said.
The report, issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in January 2017, “was certainly relevant to our decision to examine them more recently,” National Security Division Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Hickey told reporters on Thursday. He cited no other factors that contributed to the decision.
“Thank you DOJ for finally confirming what many have suspected, about how the sausage is made: RT America was forced to register as a foreign agent at least partially on the basis of a report filled with false facts, obsolete data and blatant errors,” said RT’s editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan. Link: Read Complete Article
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There Are Concerns in US Over Interpretation of FARA
SPUTNIKNEWS – December 14, 2017: On Wednesday, Michael McLeod-Bell, a first amendment adviser to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said while the ACLU was generally supportive of FARA, he had concerns about how the Justice Department was changing its interpretation of the statute.
“We are glad to hear the lonely voice in support of the freedom of speech from the country that was once known for this liberty. I hope this reckless person will not receive tomorrow a demand to register as a foreign agent. I would not be surprised,” RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan told Sputnik.
“Russian media and reporters are becoming the targets of pressure and persecution, largely due to their national and state affiliation. Subsequently, we cannot rule out that the list of not-very-appropriate sanctions and prohibitions will expand,” Secretary of the Russian Union of Journalists Timur Shafir told Sputnik last week. Link: Read Complete Article
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Russian Ministry of Justice Declares 9 Media Outlets ‘Foreign Agents’
SPUTNIKNEWS – December 7, 2017: Changes were made to Article 6 of Russia’s law “On Mass Media.” Radio Liberty, Voice of America and seven other outlets which provide media content within Russia have been named specifically in a new federal law which targets media outlets that receive financial assistance from other countries or from organizations which can be recognized as foreign agents.
The Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Liberty and the broadcaster Nastoyashee Vremya have also been declared foreign agents.
Journalists representing blacklisted media agencies will be banned from entering the State Duma and the Federation Council, the two branches of Russia’s federal legislature.
“This list includes US propaganda companies funded by the state and providing their services in the Russian language. …
Earlier media reports suggested that the German-run broadcaster Deutsche Welle would also be included in the list. Link: Read Complete Article
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Russia’s upper house endorses foreign agent media law
TASS – November 112, 2017: Russia’s Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, approved during its session on Wednesday a law designating media outlets as foreign agents.
A total of 154 senators voted in favor of the document, and one abstained.
On November 15, Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, passed in the third and final reading the law, which labels media outlets as foreign agents if they receive funding from abroad. The law will enter into force after it is signed by the president.
After acquiring this status, these media outlets will be subject to the restrictions and responsibilities, which are currently envisaged for non-governmental organizations labeled as foreign agents. They will also face a similar responsibility for such NGOs for breaching this legislation.
This measure was a response to the demand of the US Department of Justice to RT America, a US branch of the Russian television company, to register as a foreign agent.
Andrey Klishas, who chairs the upper house’s committee for constitutional legislation and state construction, said the law does not violate constitutional rights. According to the senator, the law does not introduce censorship, but enshrines additional obligations for mass media outlets designated as foreign agents. He stressed that the law does not target Russian media outlets. Link:Read Article
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Putin Signs Amendmends to Law Allowing to List Media as Foreign Agents as Response to Pressure on RT in the United States
SPUTNIKNEWS -November 25, 2017: Moscow has previously vowed response to the forced registration of RT America under FARA after the US Justice Department’s demand.
President Vladimir Putin has signed amendments, which had been previously approved by both chambers of the Russian parliament, to a law allowing to list some foreign media outlets operating in the country as Foreign Agents.
According to the text of the law, media that receive financial assistance from foreign states or organizations can be recognized as foreign agents, while the decision on which outlets will be classified as “foreign agents” will be taken by the Ministry of Justice.
Previously, the Russian Justice Ministry stated that it has notified “Voice of America”, “Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty”, “Now”, the regional projects of “Radio Liberty” and some others about their possible inclusion in the list. Link:Read Complete Article
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Russian lower house to ban access to all US reporters – lawmaker
RT – December 1, 2017: The head of the State Duma Regulations Committee has said that the Russian Lower House will ban all visits by journalists working for US mass media. This is in reply to the US Congress’s hostile moves towards Russia’s RT America television.
“By our decision we are offering this move for the consideration of the State Duma Council and plenary session. We are expressing our attitude to the inadmissibility of attacks on democratic values, freedom of speech and the right to receive objective information,” MP Olga Savastyanova told RIA Novosti on Friday.
The lawmaker added that she expected the corresponding motion to be passed on the State Duma plenary session on Wednesday and come into force before the end of next week. Federal lawmakers also plan to approve of a recommendation to Russian regional legislatures to introduce similar measures.
Savastyanova emphasized that the ban was a reciprocal action introduced after RT America was stripped of accreditation with the US Congress.
According to current regulations any foreign reporter must receive an accreditation with the Foreign Ministry to work in Russia. Once received, this document grants free access to the Parliament. Link: Read Complete Article
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US Congress, Capitol Hill, withdraw Russian network RT credentials
WASHINGTONPOST – December 1, 2017: Broadcast reporters for Russian state-funded TV channel RT will no longer be able to report daily from the U.S. Capitol.
A committee that governs Capitol Hill access for broadcast journalists has withdrawn credentials for RT after the company complied earlier this month with a U.S. demand that it register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The law applies to people or companies disseminating information in the U.S. on behalf of foreign governments, political parties and other “foreign principals.” Link: Read Complete Article
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