Russia is to introduce legislation that will impose fines of up to 500,000 rubles ($5,660) on third parties that "intentionally or unintentionally" promote or distribute materials produced by "foreign agent" entities without appropriately labeling them, Deputy Justice Minister Oleg Sviridenko said on November 23.
Sviridenko told TASS that Russian Justice Minister Konstantin Chuychenko would sign the corresponding order at the end of the month, then a government decree will be issued, after which the Russian authorities will begin issuing fines.
He said the fines will apply to "libraries, books, universities, television," but also to "ordinary people who intentionally or unintentionally help or somehow support foreign agents."
Under the current legislation, the so-called aiding of a "foreign agent" is already punishable by a fine of up to 500,000 rubles for legal entities and up to 50,000 rubles for citizens, but there is no mention of whether dissemination of "foreign agent" materials is considered as aiding.
Under the "foreign agent" law introduced in Russia in 2012, the authorities can declare nonprofit organizations as being "foreign agents" if they receive funding from abroad and are engaged in political activities.
Subsequently, the law allowed the designation of media outlets and individual journalists as "foreign agents," including those who do not receive foreign funding but are "under foreign influence," and requiring them to mark all their materials as being produced by a "foreign agent."
More than 30 RFE/RL employees have been listed as "foreign agents" by the Justice Ministry in their personal capacity.
SEE ALSO: 'That's How My Days Are Spent': RFE/RL Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva Writes From JailThe move announced by Sviridenko will extend the same requirements to third parties.
Sviridenko cited as a hypothetical example the situation when a TV channel would broadcast a show with the participation of "Mr. Galkin" (an apparent reference to singer Alla Pugacheva's husband, who was declared a foreign agent after leaving Russia in protest of the invasion of Ukraine), without disclosing that Galkin is a "foreign agent."
Such a violation will result in the Justice Ministry sending warnings, "and if there is no response within a month, then a fine of 300,000-500,000 [rubles will be imposed] at first. Then the situation could develop further," Sviridenko said, without elaborating.