More than 150 media and NGOs demand the repeal of the law limiting media freedom in Russia

Media, NGOs, charitable and other public organizations created a petition and demanded the repeal of the law on "foreign agents". The appeal, addressed to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council and the Human Rights Commissioner, is posted on the change.org website. He writes about it novayagazeta.ru.

The petition was signed by more than 150 organizations, among them the radio station "Echo of Moscow", the newspaper "Pskovskaya guberniya", "Meduza", TV channels "Dozhd", "Mediazona", OVD-Info, Taiga.Info, "Say Gordeeva", "Libo/ Lybo", "Eschenepozner", Advokatskaya Street, as well as the Moskovskaya Helsinki Group, "Dom s Mayak", the charity fund "AdVita", "Nochlezhka", "Dissernet", Arzamas Academy, Doxa, "Technique of Speech", "Russian LGBT- set", "Roskomsvoboda", Committee Against Torture and others.

"The legislation on "foreign agents" is openly discriminatory and illegal: it contradicts the Constitution of Russia and the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms," the signatories of the letter said. They noted that many organizations were forced to cease work and liquidate after being recognized as a "foreign agent", more and more restrictions are imposed on the activities of NGOs, and mass media are losing advertisers and sources of information.

The slightest violations of the rules lead to multimillion-dollar fines and bankruptcy of organizations, and individuals - foreign agents are obliged to accompany each statement with a special stamp and report not only on their income, but also on every ruble spent. "As a result, the rights of all citizens of Russia are violated," the authors of the petition are confident.

There are currently 47 people and organizations on the list of media "foreign agents", and approximately two-thirds of them have been included in the register since April 2021. Journalists have repeatedly appealed to the Russian authorities to revise the law on "foreign agents" and stop the persecution of journalists in the country. On August 27, in an open letter, the authors indicated a demand for the destruction of independent media in Russia, and on September 1, the media community presented a package of amendments to the current legislation on "foreign agents." The Kremlin promised to consider a package of amendments prepared by the media. According to Peskov, this appeal is constructive, not a demand.