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Russia's federal censor reportedly says it's now illegal to call Putin a ‘thief’ in the news media

Source: Meduza
According to a report by the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/russian/news-47965409" target="_blank">BBC Russian Service</a>, federal officials recently met with leaders of Russia’s mass media. Representatives of the federal censor, Roskomnadzor, reportedly said that they consider the two phrases listed above to constitute illegal offensive speech. The agency’s spokesperson clarified, however, that each instance of either phrase appearing in the media will be considered in context, and the Attorney General’s Office will be responsible for this evaluation. The government-media meeting took place after Roskomnadzor blocked two news websites in Yaroslavl after they published photographs of graffiti reading, “<a href="https://meduza.io/en/news/2019/04/02/graffiti-about-putin-triggers-first-enforcement-of-russia-s-new-law-banning-online-anti-government-insults" target="_blank">Putin is a faggot</a>.” The Russian authorities determined that this phrase constitutes an illegal insult directed at a state official.
According to a report by the BBC Russian Service, federal officials recently met with leaders of Russia’s mass media. Representatives of the federal censor, Roskomnadzor, reportedly said that they consider the two phrases listed above to constitute illegal offensive speech. The agency’s spokesperson clarified, however, that each instance of either phrase appearing in the media will be considered in context, and the Attorney General’s Office will be responsible for this evaluation. The government-media meeting took place after Roskomnadzor blocked two news websites in Yaroslavl after they published photographs of graffiti reading, “Putin is a faggot.” The Russian authorities determined that this phrase constitutes an illegal insult directed at a state official.

Photo on front page: Anton Vaganov / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA