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Council Of Europe Blasts Russia's Branding Of Five Journalists, Activists As 'Foreign Agents' December 29, 2020 15:09 GMT Share share Print The Council of Europe says it is concerned about Russia branding individuals as "foreign agents" after Moscow added five people to a registry that activists say is used as a way to clamp down on dissent. The council, one of the continent's leading human rights organizations, said in a statement on December 29 that the move -- and the foreign agent law in general -- "stifles the development of civil society and freedom of expression." The comment comes a d...

share Print Russia has for the first time branded individuals as "foreign agents," including three who contribute to RFE/RL. Five journalists or activists in total were added to the Russian Justice Ministry's registry of "foreign mass media performing the functions of a foreign agent" on December 28. Previously only foreign-funded, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and rights groups were placed on the registry, in keeping with Russia's passage of its controversial "foreign-agents law" in 2012. The law was later expanded to include media outlets and independent journalists. Inclusion on the...

Journalists in Trouble Newsletter Share INCIDENTS AND THREATS Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to extensive investigations by Bellingcat and various Western media into the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. During his annual news conference on December 17, Putin made the claim, without any evidence, that the media outlets were merely "laundering" U.S. intelligence materials. He also said that if Russian security services had wanted to poison Navalny, "they would have finished the job." Also read -- “ Belarusian blogger Ihar Losik, who has been recognized by rights org...