The Ministry of Justice has included the organization “Yakutia – Our Opinion” in the register of media “foreign agents”

Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation included autonomous non-profit association for the protection of human rights and informing the population “Yakutia – Our Opinion” in the register of media – “foreign agents”.

The decision to add to the list was made at the request of the head of the organization Stepan Petrov, the ministry said in a statement.

Stepanov himself was included in the register in August this year. On October 12, a protocol was drawn up against him on non-compliance with the requirements for the media – “foreign agents” (Article 19.34.1 of the Administrative Code). Petrov faces a fine of up to 10 thousand rubles.

There are now 86 individuals and legal entities in the register of media “foreign agents”. Individuals began to be added to the list at the end of 2020, one of the first in it was the founder of the movement “For Human Rights” Lev Ponomarev, who also drew up a protocol on non-compliance with the requirements for the media – “foreign agents”.

The protocol, which was drawn up against Ponomarev, says that he disseminates messages on social networks “without specifying that these messages and materials were created (or) disseminated by a foreign mass media performing the functions of a foreign agent, or with an indication that does not meet the requirements of the order.” …

According to the requirements of the legislation, the specified legal entity is subject to inclusion in the register, and messages and materials created by it and distributed in the territory of the Russian Federation are subject to mandatory labeling.

In late August, the chief editors of Russian media, including Dozhd TV, Novaya Gazeta, Ekho Moskvy, Znak.com and TV2, published an open letter to President Vladimir Putin, his press secretary Dmitry Peskov and Justice Minister Konstantin Chuichenko with a demand to annul the current list of “foreign agents” and amend the legislation on “foreign agents”.