Vladimir Putin signed the law on criminal punishment for fakes about the Russian army

According to the signed law, several elements of crimes are introduced. This is the public dissemination under the guise of reliable reports of deliberately false information containing data on the use of the armed forces; public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the armed forces (after bringing to administrative responsibility); calls for the introduction of restrictive measures against the Russian Federation, citizens of the Russian Federation or Russian legal entities (after bringing to administrative responsibility).

It is noted that "discrediting the use of the armed forces" means "deliberate actions aimed at undermining the authority of the Armed Forces, the image and trust in the Armed Forces, belittling the dignity and authority of the Armed Forces".

The day before, the State Duma adopted in the third, final reading a bill that introduces criminal penalties and large fines for fake information that discredits the Russian army, as well as calls for sanctions against the Russian Federation. The document says that the term of imprisonment for these crimes can be up to 15 years if the fakes entail serious consequences.

Before that, the Ministry of Defense pointed to an increase in the “number of hysterical fakes and outright disinformation” distributed on social networks.

Today it became known that the American television channels ABC and CBS temporarily stopped broadcasting in Russia, and the Canadian CBC announced the suspension of reporting from the country, in connection with the adoption of a law criminalizing fakes about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces.