Editors of several Russian media outlets called on Putin to cancel "foreign agents" list
The editors-in-chief of several Russian media, including Dozhd, Novaya Gazeta daily, Echo of Moscow radio, Znak.com, and TV2, came out with an open letter demanding that the list of "foreign agents" be repealed and that the relevant legislation be amended.
The letter is addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Justice Minister Konstantin Chuichenko, as Radio Liberty reported.
In the open letter, the media executives proposed 12 amendments to the law on "foreign agents". In particular, to assign such a status only by a court decision; to clearly define the concepts of political activity and lobbying; to oblige the Ministry of Justice to provide evidence as to why a certain media outlet is defined as a “foreign agent”; to set the minimum allowable share of foreign funding at 30%; to simplify reporting for media that already have this status; to remove provisions related to the arbitrary application of the law; to prohibit the recognition of journalists working in the media as "foreign agents" as "foreign agents" - individuals.
In total, the petitioners and editors-in-chief of 22 media outlets signed the petition.
It will be recalled that the list of media "foreign agents" in Russia includes dozens of individuals and editorial offices, including 10 Russian-language projects of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and four journalists who cooperate with the Russian service of Radio Liberty.
Radio Liberty considers the legislation on mass media - "foreign agents" – as repressive and such that challenges the legality of its application in Russian courts and the European Court of Human Rights.
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