Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Russian Duma Approves Bill Allowing Government to Label Individuals as
Foreign Agents

Charles Maynes

   MOSCOW - The lower house of Russia's parliament, the State Duma,
   Thursday overwhelmingly passed legislation that would allow the
   government to label journalists, bloggers, and social media users as
   foreign agents.
   The bill, which still needs approval from the Federation Council, the
   upper chamber, and President Vladimir Putin's signature to become law,
   expands on existing "foreign agent" measures already targeting select
   foreign media and Russian NGOs.

   The laws have been criticized by human rights groups as highly
   restrictive but lauded by Kremlin loyalists as essential to protect
   Russian sovereignty.
   Under the new expanded version, restrictions would now apply to
   journalists and individuals working for media organizations designated
   as foreign agents by Russia's Justice Ministry.

   The new measure would require those who work for suspect media outlets
   to label any published materials as "made by a foreign agent" and
   personally submit to regular audits and inspections of their work and
   finances.

   Employees and contractors with Voice of America, Radio Free
   Europe/Radio Liberty, and several affiliated partner projects -- such
   as Current Time TV -- would appear to be prime targets of the new bill.

   The U.S. government-funded outlets are currently the only media on the
   Justice Ministry foreign agent media blacklist created in 2017.

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