US State Department: Russia does not understand law on foreign agents
Russia is misinterpreting the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which creates transparency but does not restrict freedom of speech or prevent the spread of information, an official US State Department representative told TASS.
The State Department spokesperson was commenting on the amendments adopted in Russia which make it possible to recognize overseas media as foreign agents.
According to the representative, in official Russian statements this bill is connected to the demand to “register in compliance with FARA”.
“As we said to our Russian correspondents, FARA provides transparency, without restricting freedom of speech. The law is not aimed at foreign agents from any specific country. FARA does not restrict the publication of materials, it only requires registration, and, when distributing materials, reference to the fact that this is being done on behalf of a foreign party, and keeping record of information,” the State Department representative told the news agency.
He pointed out that FARA is not used as a means to restrict political freedom or freedom of speech. It does not regulate the content of the distributed information or place restrictions on receiving funds from non-governmental organizations abroad, neither does it tax these funds.
Yesterday the State Duma adopted an amendment according to which the Russian Justice Ministry will be able to recognize overseas media as foreign agents. Legal entities registered in a foreign state and foreign structures which are not legal entities can be recognized as foreign agents. According to the bill, mass media foreign agents will fall under the same restrictions as NPO foreign agents. Their material will need to be accompanied by a label “foreign agent”, and they will have to provide the Russian Justice Ministry with additional financial information regarding funds received from abroad.
This change in legislation was initiated as a response to the registration of RT (Russia Today) as a foreign agent in the US. Interfax reported earlier that the Ministry of Justice had already sent notifications regarding the new amendments to Current Time, Radio Liberty, Idel.Realii and the Voice of America.
On November 13, RT America registered as a foreign agent in the US. The Ministry of Justice demanded its registration in light of an investigation into supposed Russian interference in US presidential elections in 2016.