The non-governmental organization Amnesty International denounces[/B] how the Russian authorities silence journalists[/B] and human rights defenders who try to cover anti-war protests in the country."[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
The non-governmental organization Amnesty International denounces[/B] how the Russian authorities silence journalists[/B] and human rights defenders who try to cover anti-war protests in the country.
"We can see that the Russian authorities set out not only to prevent and harshly criminalize any demonstration, no matter how peaceful, but also to minimize public information about it," said Natalia Prilutskaya, Amnesty International's researcher on Russia, according to a press release issued by the NGO yesterday, Wednesday.
The organization criticizes Moscow for its increasingly severe curbs on media freedoms and activists since Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000.
However, "retaliatory actions" against activists and media workers "escalated further after the Russian military launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine" on February 24.
In addition to increasing police violence against journalists and independent observers, new legal restrictions "prevent journalists" and others "from informing the public about the protests," according to Ms. Prilutskaya.
Shortly after the military invasion of Ukrainian territory, Russia adopted a new, highly controversial law that provides for heavy penalties for journalists and media who "spread false information about the armed forces."
The vague wording of this law allows for the suppression of any coverage that does not conform to the Kremlin's official line on the conflict in Ukraine. Moscow still continues to refer to the war, now nine months into the year, as a "special military operation."
Source: KYPE
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
