Ukraine: Russia further increases pressure on the media

The Russian authorities are strengthening their arsenal to control the story they tell the Russian population about the "special operation" in Ukraine.

AP - Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr.

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The Russian authorities are tightening control over the information given by the media relating to what the Kremlin qualifies as a “ 

special operation

 ”.

It was already forbidden to communicate on the number of dead and wounded other than

via

the figures given by the Ministry of Defense.

From now on, even the local press is also reminded of its responsibilities.

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With our correspondent in Moscow,

Anissa El Jabri

We are deleting our web page dedicated to the dead in Ukraine

”.

This morning, this message appeared on the websites of two regional newspapers in Russia.

The pages on which appeared texts of homage to the children of the country, described as engaged for the fatherland, are elements which must not be made public, had pleaded on several occasions the prosecutor.

This is also the point of view defended by Roskomnadzor, the policeman of the Internet and Russian telecoms.

Articles that contravene the Russian Criminal Code

In other words, as such, these articles already contravene the Russian criminal code.

Last March, Vladimir Putin had a

new law

promulgated : the dissemination deemed “

intentional

” of false information about the army can be punished with a sentence of up to fifteen years in prison.

State secret

To this, it should be added that in one of the court cases involving these newspapers, the court also pointed out that the data disseminated is also classified as a state secret.

Here too, according to Russian law, and this was the case before February 24, their disclosure can lead to criminal prosecution.

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