Russian court fines US-funded outlets for violating foreign agents laws
A Russian court slapped a fine on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Thursday after it determined that the U.S. government-funded news outlet had failed to comply with Russian foreign agents laws.
RFE/RL was ordered to pay 100,000 rubles — about $1,600 — for failing to file the proper paperwork required of foreign agents, the news outlet reported. The ruling came eight months after RFE/RL was labeled a "foreign agent" by the Russian government.
Thomas Kent, the president of RFE/RL, blasted the ruling, calling it a "sharp new escalation in a series of Russian actions aimed at hamstringing the work of the company and at casting public suspicion on its Russian staff."
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law last year a measure allowing his country's Justice Ministry to brand media outlets that receive foreign funding as "foreign agents."
But so far, only RFE/RL, the U.S.-funded Voice of America (VOA) and their affiliated news outlets have been labeled foreign agents under the law, prompting allegations that the designations are politically motivated.
http://thehill.com/homenews/media/395655-russia-court-fines-us-funded-outlets-for-violating-foreign-agents-laws