Russian lawmakers approve prison for 'fake' war reports [View all]
DUSSELDORF, Germany (AP) Russians could face prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading information that goes against the Russian governments position on the war in Ukraine, a move that comes as authorities block access to foreign media outlets.
The Russian parliament voted unanimously Friday to approve a draft law criminalizing the intentional spreading of what Russia deems to be fake reports.
Russian authorities have repeatedly decried reports of Russian military setbacks or civilian deaths in Ukraine as fake reports. State media outlets refer to Russias invasion of Ukraine as a special military operation rather than a war or invasion.
The draft law was approved by the lower and upper houses of parliament in quick succession and is now set to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin to take effect as soon as Saturday, the speaker of the lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, said.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-business-europe-germany-d15ca4ed450d9ca67f43d3b1ac27294d