The Russian 2019 fake news laws is a group of 2 federal laws, adopted by

State Duma The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly (Russia), Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council (Russia), Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of Russia, Constitution of t ...

on 7 March 2019, approved by

Federation Council The Federation Council, unofficially Senate, is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, with the lower house being the State Duma. It was established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 1993. Each of the 89 federal s ...

on 13 March 2019, signed by

President of Russia The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the State Council (Russia), Federal State Council and the President of Russia#Commander-in-ch ...

on 18 March 2019, allowing the

Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, abbreviated as ''Roskomnadzor'' (RKN), is the Russian federal executive agency responsible for monitoring, controlling and censoring Russian mass media. ...

to extrajudicially block access to online media publishing information, considered "unreliable" by Russian authorities (Law No.31-FZ), and establishing the punishment for such dissemination (Law No.27-FZ). The laws entered into force on 29 March 2019. These laws are the first in the series of

Russian fake news laws The Russian fake news laws are a group of federal laws prohibiting the dissemination of information considered "unreliable" by Russian authorities, establishing the punishment for such dissemination, and allowing the Federal Service for Supervisio ...

Overview

The Federal Law of 18 March 2019 No.31-FZ prohibits the dissemination of an "unreliable information" endangering life and/or health of individuals, and/or property, creating the risk of massive violation of public order and/or public security, or the risk of interference with the functioning of vital, transport, social infrastructure, power, industrial and communication facilities, banks and other financial institutions. The Federal Law of 18 March 2019 No.27-FZ supplemented the article 13.15 of the

Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses The Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses () is the administrative offenses law for Russia. The Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation was adopted on December 30, 2001. The Code serves as a comprehensive leg ...

with parts 9, 10 and 11 providing huge administrative fines for natural persons and juridical persons for the dissemination of "unreliable information". According to aforementioned laws, an online media is obliged to remove from its website the information designated as "unreliable" by

Roskomnadzor The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, abbreviated as ''Roskomnadzor'' (RKN), is the Russian federal executive agency responsible for monitoring, controlling and censoring Russian mass media. ...

immediately after receiving the relevant notification. In the case of non-compliance with the obligation,

blocks access to the media's website. Administrative responsibility is incurred even in the case of compliance with the obligation.

Application of law

The first case of dissemination of "unreliable information" was opened in April 2019 against

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near its mouth into the White Sea. The city spreads for over along the ...

's resident Elena Kalinina. The first persons who were convicted under the Fake News Law are Publishing House "Moment Istiny" and its editor-in-chief Evgeniy Gneushev. The district court overturned the judgement against Publishing House "Moment Istiny" and set the case for a new consideration, but magistrate court imposed a fine again.

Reaction

The

Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights The Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights () is a consultative body to the President of the Russian Federation, tasked with assisting him in guaranteeing and protecting human rights and freedoms in Russia. Si ...

opposed the bill. On 12 March 2019, many journalists and human rights defenders stated that the bill would establish the government censorship which is prohibited by the

Constitution of Russia The Constitution of the Russian Federation () was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993 and enacted on 25 December 1993. The latest significant reform occurred in 2020, marked by extensive amendments that altered various sections ...

. They called this law grave abuse by officials, cynical denial of constitutional rights, state repressions against journalist community.

References

{{reflist 2019 in law 2019 in Russia Law of Russia Fake news

Overview

Application of law

Reaction

See also

References