In a new act of censorship of information circulating about the war in Ukraine, the Russian government fined independent newspaper Vecherniye Vedomosti 150,000 rubles (approximately R$12,000) for “dishonoring the Russian Armed Forces” in posts on Telegram, as the newspaper itself reported.
According to local media reports, Russian authorities decided in a separate law that a list of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine published by news site 60.ru constitutes “confidential information”, forcing the site to remove the content.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the government of Vladimir Putin has intensified media censorship with a new law that considers any narrative inconsistent with the Kremlin as “fake news.” Journalists can be imprisoned for up to 15 years under current legislation.
Russia censored facts about the war in Ukraine
The fine by the Vecherniye Vedomosti newspaper to the vehicle’s parent company, Technotorg, stemmed from a March 18 Telegram post announcing the arrest of an artist distributing anti-war stickers on the streets of Yekaterinburg, Russia.
Guzela Aitkulova, director of Vedomosti, told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that she posted a blurred image of these stickers in her Telegram channel post, adding that “there is no word about the Russian army” in the post.
On Monday, authorities also informed Aitkulova that they were investigating 54 more Telegram posts by the newspaper that allegedly discredited the Armed Forces.
“Actually, we are angry that we are being punished precisely for our journalistic activities,” Aytkulova said.
“All of this feels like revenge for our independent stance. And the attempt to destroy us without hindrance – do not crush us financially.”
The newspaper’s director told the committee that he plans to appeal Technotorg’s June 3 decision, but no hearings on other cases are scheduled so far.
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Separately, (5) Sunday, a court ruled that the website 60.ru violated the law constituting “illegal publication of confidential information” by listing the names of residents of the Russian city of Svetlogorsk who died as soldiers in Ukraine. The military prosecutor filed a complaint against the media outlet.
According to 60.ru, the list was compiled from publicly available information from official sources.
If found guilty, those responsible for 60.ru can serve up to seven years in a penal colony according to the Russian penal code.
State media regulator Roskomnadzor is authorized by law to block publications that share such information.
Following the court’s decision, in memory of the Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine, numerous online publications linked to the Shkulev Media Holding media network, owner of 60.ru and 74.ru website, were removed on the grounds of “safety of journalists”. To the NGO Roskomsvoboda quoted by CPJ.
To a question asked by the committee about the action against 60.ru, a representative of the Svetlogorsk city court sent a press release published on June 8, and on an unidentified website “information revealing the losses of personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. special ops, names and personal details of the dead.”
Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s program coordinator for Europe and Central Asia, criticized the Russian government’s censorship of local journalists covering the war in Ukraine:
“After criminalizing the publication of alleged false information about the war in Ukraine, prosecuting journalists and blocking dozens of news sites, Russian authorities continue their efforts to silence organizations reporting military losses and anti-war protests in Russia.”
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Journalist fled to avoid censorship when war broke out in Ukraine
Some continued to defy censorship, while others gave up and left the country. One of them is the Russian journalist Viktor Muchnik, who was the owner of TV2 until the start of the war in Ukraine.
Realizing that censorship against the media was advancing, he decided to shut it down and flee to Armenia with his family.
In an interview with the newspaper GuardMuchnik said his decision was made by the Putin government on the ninth day of the occupation of neighboring lands, shortly after the law on “fake news” about the Russian military came into force.
“One reason was professional: What you’ve been doing for a long time is dead.
The other was human. None of us wanted to be in this vacuum, in this war-making country, and live among people who support this war.”
Other TV2 professionals also left Russia after the station was finished. Cameraman Alexander Sakalov regretted the decision, but told the British newspaper that the journalists gave the Russian population what they wanted:
“We couldn’t tell people what happened in their own country and it hurts me. People don’t want to know. They want flowers and birds. Well, now all independent media in the country will be shut down and people will get what they want.”
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source: Noticias
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