U.S.-Funded Radio Calls on European Court to Halt Russia Fines April 16, 2021 RFE/RL s appeal comes as independent media in Russia complain of worsening pressure. Petr Kadlec / Wikicommons
The U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty news website in Moscow said Friday it was urgently appealing to Europe s highest rights court to stop Russia from heavily fining the media outlet for hundreds of alleged infractions.
RFE/FL, which Moscow designated a foreign agent several years ago, said it was facing fines of up to $33 million by the end of the year for failing to attach that label to its stories, as required under Russian law.
The US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty news website in Moscow said Friday (16 April) it was urgently appealing to Europe’s highest rights court to stop Russia from heavily fining the media outlet for hundreds of alleged infractions.
RFE/FL, which Moscow designated a “foreign agent” several years ago, said it was facing fines of up to $33 million by the end of the year for failing to attach that label to its stories, as required under Russian law.
The Russian law classing international media organisations operating in the country as “foreign agents” is a “threat to free and independent media”, the European Union said on Sunday (26 November).
Russia fines Radio Free Europe for breaching foreign agent law Reuters 2/10/2021
MOSCOW, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Russia fined Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Wednesday for violating its foreign agent law as the U.S.-government sponsored outlet comes under increasing scrutiny from the authorities.
Roskomnadzor, Russia s communications watchdog, said RFE/RL was being fined 11 million roubles ($150,000) for failing to identify itself as a foreign agent on its publications, something required by law.
Russia designated RFE/RL a foreign agent in 2017, a step aimed at complicating its work in retaliation for what Moscow said was unacceptable pressure on Russian media in the United States.