Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, today approved an amendment to punish those found guilty of defamation of “volunteer” organizations fighting in Ukraine, expanding the scope of a law that censors criticism of the Russian military.
The amendment is believed to be aimed at “protecting” Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner fighters.
The bill now needs to be approved by the upper house before it is sent to President Vladimir Putin for final approval.
Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin welcomed these proposals.
In January, Prigozhin asked Parliament to ban negative media coverage of his people by amending the Criminal Code. This idea was supported by Duma speaker Vichislav Volodin.
According to the current legislation in Russia, “slander” against the military is punishable by up to five years in prison, and “dissemination of knowingly false information” about them is punishable by 15 years in prison.
The Russian prosecutor’s office has already opened more than 5,800 cases against people for defamation of the Armed Forces, the OVD-Info organization reports.
Source: APE-MPE, Reuters, AFP.
Source: Kathimerini
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