As Moscow presses on with its invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a measure proposing up to 15-year prison sentences for spreading false information about the Russian army.
The bill, which was passed by MPs earlier on Friday, imposes prison sentences and fines for those who publish “knowingly incorrect material” about the military, with higher penalties imposed when the distribution is regarded to have major implications.
Putin also signed a bill that would allow for fines or prison time for those who call for sanctions against Russia, despite the fact that Moscow is facing unprecedented economic restrictions from Western capitals as a result of the invasion.
In Russia, there has been an extraordinary crackdown on independent and critical voices in the last year, which has only gotten worse since the invasion began.
Russia’s media watchdog announced on Friday that it had blocked social media behemoth Facebook and restricted access to the BBC and other independent media websites.
Two news organizations have indicated that they will cease reporting on Ukraine in order to safeguard its journalists, while the BBC has announced that it will cease operations in Russia.
Only official outlets, which describe the invasion as a military operation, have been given permission to broadcast information in Russian media.
Meanwhile, state-run media have bolstered official narratives about Ukrainian nationalism and Moscow’s accusation that Ukrainian military are exploiting people as human shields.
