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).
Russian magazine raided, journalists charged by authorities kake.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kake.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
DOXA said the crackdown was connected to a video the magazine ran ahead of January protests organized to support jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Two weekends of nationwide mass rallies in support of Navalny were Russia’s biggest in recent years, posing a major challenge for the Kremlin.
The video talked about pressure school and university students faced before the protests, including threats of expulsion. Russia’s media and internet watchdog, Roskomnadzor, demanded DOXA delete it several days after it ran, alleging that it contained information encouraging minors to take part in illegal activity.
The magazine complied, but Aramyan, Tyshkevich, Metelkin and Gutnikova filed a lawsuit to contest the order.
On the morning of 14 April, security officers conducted searches at the office of the online student online magazine DOXA, in the apartments of four of its staff.