Russian law amendment could turn broadcasters into ‘foreign agents’

Mikhail Fedotov, head of the Russian Presidential Council on Civil Society and Human Rights, has reportedly criticised amendments proposed to a law on foreign-financed organisations in Russia that could penalise broadcasters in the country that sell their channels or programmes abroad.

According to local reports, Fedotov criticised amendments proposed by the governing United Russia party’s Yevgeny Fedorov concerning media companies that receive finance from abroad. Fedotov said the amendments would mean that any broadcasters that sold their programming internationally, as well as online media, would be forced to declare themselves  ‘foreign agents’.

The proposed amendments would extend to media companies a controversial law designed to force non-governmental organisations in Russia that receive financial support from abroad to declare themselves ‘foreign agents’.