The Prosecutor General’s Office has determined a list of violations for which it is possible to close the media

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has prepared a draft order with a list of violations in which the department has the right to suspend the activities of the media. The draft order is published on website draft normative and legal acts.

According to the draft, the Prosecutor General’s Office will respond to the publication:

• Unreliable publicly significant information that poses a threat of harm to the life and (or) health of citizens;
• Fake information about the use of the Russian Armed Forces;
• Discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation information;
• Information expressing in an indecent form a clear disrespect for society and the state;
• Information containing calls for the organization of unauthorized public events and (or) participation in them.

It follows from the document that the sources of information about violations can be written and oral appeals of citizens, organizations, officials, media reports, materials of inspections, civil and administrative cases, as well as other open sources. The Prosecutor General’s Office must submit a request to suspend the activities of the media within five working days after the discovery of the violation, and if necessary, immediately, the document says.

The request to invalidate the registration of the media or terminate the broadcasting license is immediately sent to Roskomnadzor, specified in the instructions. At the same time, the suspension of activities or the deprivation of a license of a foreign media outlet is preliminarily agreed with the Russian Foreign Ministry.

A bill allowing the Attorney General to revoke media licenses was introduced to the State Duma in April. In July it signed Vladimir Putin. The legislative measure allows the Prosecutor General and his deputies to ban the activities of the media for the publication of “inaccurate information” and gives representatives of the prosecutor’s office the exclusive right to invalidate the registration of the media. A foreign journalist may lose his accreditation for displaying “unfriendly actions”.

More about the law – in the material “Kommersant” “Instead of printing”.

Erdni Kagaltynov