Location: Russia, Moscow               
Date: May 17, 2022

A draft law that would allow state authorities to invalidate the registration and accreditation of media outlets without a court order and hold newsrooms accountable, is up for voting by the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s legislature. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this move to further entrench press censorship in the country. This bill is yet another move to obstruct and manipulate information. It must immediately be withdrawn and instead, urgent steps must be taken to enable journalists to report freely and independently. 

In a move to further intensify press censorship, the Kremlin criminalized dissemination of “fake” news about the Russian military and the government agencies abroad in March 2022, reported the CFWIJ. The law proposed now enables the state to revoke licenses from media outlets they believe are reporting “fake” news while bypassing the courts. The lower house of Russia’s legislature, the State Duma, was initially scheduled to consider this bill on May 18,  but is now slated to do so on May 24.

Local media reported that under the proposed law, the Prosecutor General’s Office, through the federal media regulatory authority, Roskomnadzor, will have the right to revoke licenses from media outlets that spread "fake" information related to the activities of the armed forces, with circumstances that "pose a threat to the life and safety of citizens", or pose a threat to the health of citizens or a mass violation of public order. 

Meduza, a Russian independent news website based in Latvia, reported that the bill also empowers the prosecutor’s office to ban foreign media from operating in the country in response to the closure of Russian media outlets abroad. 

News reports further state that the draft bill suggests holding journalists responsible for reprinting materials from other media outlets that contain “inaccurate information” about the activities of the Russian military forces abroad. 

The new bill comes amid a wave of increasing censorship by the Russian authorities in February after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine sparked a war.  

In March, Russia passed a law criminalizing dispension of information about the invasion or the military’s activities abroad that the state deems “fake” or “false”. President Valdimir Putin approved the new law after allegations on BBC News, wherein the Kremlin claimed that the British broadcasting service was “undermining Russian stability and security”. 

According to that legislation, spreading information that the Kremlin deems “false” or contradictory to the state’s position on the war in Ukraine can be punishable with up to 15 years in prison. The law was passed unanimously on March 4 by the lower and upper houses of parliament in quick succession. On March 25, the law was expanded further to include punishment for “false” news about government agencies abroad. 

Since the war started several independent journalists have been subjected to state-linked harassment and persecution in Russia. In Ukraine, members of the press have been killed, injured, abducted and tortured by the invasion forces. Out of six journalists killed while covering the war in Ukraine, three were women. The most recent killing was of Vira Hyrych, a journalist working for Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), on April 20, 2022. She was killed when Russian forces attacked the residential building where she was living in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Others journalists killed include Oksana Baulina ( The Insider), Brent Renaud (TIME), Oleksandra Kuvshynova (Fox News), Pierre Zakrzewski (Fox News), Yevhenii Sakun (LIVE).

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is concerned with the Kremlin's continued efforts to quash independent coverage. The state’s violations against the independent press have only increased since Russia launched an invasion in Ukraine. In 2022 thus far, we have documented over 14 cases of violations against women journalists in Russia. Prominent among them are the cases of journalists associated with Doxa Journal, Sota Vision and Skat Media as well as Svetlana Prokopyeva, who was forced to flee the country, and former state-run Channel 1 TV editorhttps://t.co/RTtOrRobbL, who faced legal action after decrying misinformation propagated by state media on-air. Prior to this, for nearly a decade, journalists in Russia have faced draconian laws like the “foreign agent” legislation, impeded internet access and systematic closures of leading independent news outlets. The bill proposed now is yet another attack on free speech, press freedom and the citizens’ right to information. We call on the State Duma to not vote for such a law and allow journalists to work freely and independently. The CFWIJ stands in solidarity with our colleagues in Russia and lauds the brave women journalists striving to bring the truth to the world despite heightened censorship.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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