Russian Laws USAGM
Metadata
- Russian Laws USAGM
- August 2, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English USAGM SHARE ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TV Russian Laws – Anisimova HEAD: Russia Adopts Oppressive Laws Targeting War Opponents TEASER: Kremlin watchers say vaguely worded foreign influence law dramatically increases government power over Russian citizens, organizations PUBLISHED: 08/02/2022 AT 9:45AM BYLINE: Liliya Anisimova CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Washington VIDEOGRAPHER: Aleksandr Barash, Dmitry Vershinin SCRIPT EDITORS: KE; Reifenrath, DJ (ok) PRODUCER: VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, see courtesies PLATFORMS: TV only TRT: 3:01 VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath TYPE: TVPKG UPDATE:)) ((INTRO)) [[Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Moscow has done its best to suppress opposition inside Russia. VOA Russian has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.]] ((NARRATION)) On July 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed two bills into law. The first was called "On Control Over the Activities of Persons Under Foreign Influence." The second: "On Amending the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Code of Criminal Procedures of the Russian Federation." Kremlin watchers say the foreign influence ((Mandatory courtesy: Pravo.gov.ru)) law is vaguely worded and dramatically increases the government's power over Russian citizens and organizations. ((End courtesy)) (Damelya Aitkhozhina, Human Rights Watch)) ((IN RUSSIAN)) ((Skype)) “Now basically anyone can be considered a foreign agent. What is foreign influence? Someone listened to VOA — and they’re under foreign influence!” ((NARRATION)) The new laws expanded the list of foreign agents to ((Mandatory courtesy: LazarevaTut + Instagram Logo)) include TV host Tatyana Lazareva, ((End courtesy)) ((Mandatory courtesy: Maxim Katz + YouTube Logo)) bloggers Maxim Katz ((End courtesy)) ((Mandatory courtesy: Biznes-Sekrety + YouTube Logo)) and Veronika ((End courtesy)) Belotserkovskaya, and opposition member Ilya Yashin, who is in a detention facility for speaking out against the war in Ukraine. ((Damelya Aitkhozhina, Human Rights Watch) ((IN RUSSIAN)) ((Skype)) “Ilya Yashin is a known political activist, so a lot of attention is targeted at him. But we are also talking about dozens of such cases.” ((Daria Korolenko, OVD-Info Lawyer)) ((IN RUSSIAN)) ((Zoom)) “From June 24 to July 24 alone, 13 new criminal cases were started around fake news distribution. Seventy-five cases since the start of the war — and the law was only adopted in March!” ((NARRATION)) The second law on criminal procedure that Putin signed on July 14th equates joining the "enemy ranks" during military activity to high treason, with a maximum 20-year prison sentence. ((Valeryia Vetoshkina, First Department Human Rights Project)) ((Russian)) ((Zoom)) “In order to be accused of treason or being a spy, one doesn’t even need to possess any sensitive information!” ((NARRATION)) Vetoshkina says that since 2017, it’s become a trend in Russia to accuse scientists of treason. In 2021, Viktor Kudryavtsev, a researcher at a Russian rocket and spacecraft center, died while under investigation. And Dmitry Kolker, a scientist from Novosibirsk, was arrested on suspicion of treason, taken from hospital to a detention facility, and died four days later of advanced pancreatic cancer. ((Valeryia Vetoshkina, First Department Human Rights Project)) ((Russian)) ((Zoom)) “I have a client. He’s at a detention facility now. His name is Valery Kalugin and he's turning 70 soon. In 2018, he took part in an international project authorized by the president. Part of the work included designing a supersonic plane — a civilian one, not military! A few years later, FSB [the Federal Security Service] comes to his home accusing him of treason.” ((NARRATION)) The Russian government is presenting these legal changes as necessary measures to protect Moscow from foreign influence and to maintain national security during a time of war. ((VOA News, Washington))
- Transcript/Script USAGM SHARE ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TV Russian Laws – Anisimova HEAD: Russia Adopts Oppressive Laws Targeting War Opponents TEASER: Kremlin watchers say vaguely worded foreign influence law dramatically increases government power over Russian citizens, organizations PUBLISHED: 08/02/2022 AT 9:45AM BYLINE: Liliya Anisimova CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Washington VIDEOGRAPHER: Aleksandr Barash, Dmitry Vershinin SCRIPT EDITORS: KE; Reifenrath, DJ (ok) PRODUCER: VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, see courtesies PLATFORMS: TV only TRT: 3:01 VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath TYPE: TVPKG UPDATE:)) ((INTRO)) [[Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Moscow has done its best to suppress opposition inside Russia. VOA Russian has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.]] ((NARRATION)) On July 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed two bills into law. The first was called "On Control Over the Activities of Persons Under Foreign Influence." The second: "On Amending the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Code of Criminal Procedures of the Russian Federation." Kremlin watchers say the foreign influence ((Mandatory courtesy: Pravo.gov.ru)) law is vaguely worded and dramatically increases the government's power over Russian citizens and organizations. ((End courtesy)) (Damelya Aitkhozhina, Human Rights Watch)) ((IN RUSSIAN)) ((Skype)) “Now basically anyone can be considered a foreign agent. What is foreign influence? Someone listened to VOA — and they’re under foreign influence!” ((NARRATION)) The new laws expanded the list of foreign agents to ((Mandatory courtesy: LazarevaTut + Instagram Logo)) include TV host Tatyana Lazareva, ((End courtesy)) ((Mandatory courtesy: Maxim Katz + YouTube Logo)) bloggers Maxim Katz ((End courtesy)) ((Mandatory courtesy: Biznes-Sekrety + YouTube Logo)) and Veronika ((End courtesy)) Belotserkovskaya, and opposition member Ilya Yashin, who is in a detention facility for speaking out against the war in Ukraine. ((Damelya Aitkhozhina, Human Rights Watch) ((IN RUSSIAN)) ((Skype)) “Ilya Yashin is a known political activist, so a lot of attention is targeted at him. But we are also talking about dozens of such cases.” ((Daria Korolenko, OVD-Info Lawyer)) ((IN RUSSIAN)) ((Zoom)) “From June 24 to July 24 alone, 13 new criminal cases were started around fake news distribution. Seventy-five cases since the start of the war — and the law was only adopted in March!” ((NARRATION)) The second law on criminal procedure that Putin signed on July 14th equates joining the "enemy ranks" during military activity to high treason, with a maximum 20-year prison sentence. ((Valeryia Vetoshkina, First Department Human Rights Project)) ((Russian)) ((Zoom)) “In order to be accused of treason or being a spy, one doesn’t even need to possess any sensitive information!” ((NARRATION)) Vetoshkina says that since 2017, it’s become a trend in Russia to accuse scientists of treason. In 2021, Viktor Kudryavtsev, a researcher at a Russian rocket and spacecraft center, died while under investigation. And Dmitry Kolker, a scientist from Novosibirsk, was arrested on suspicion of treason, taken from hospital to a detention facility, and died four days later of advanced pancreatic cancer. ((Valeryia Vetoshkina, First Department Human Rights Project)) ((Russian)) ((Zoom)) “I have a client. He’s at a detention facility now. His name is Valery Kalugin and he's turning 70 soon. In 2018, he took part in an international project authorized by the president. Part of the work included designing a supersonic plane — a civilian one, not military! A few years later, FSB [the Federal Security Service] comes to his home accusing him of treason.” ((NARRATION)) The Russian government is presenting these legal changes as necessary measures to protect Moscow from foreign influence and to maintain national security during a time of war. ((VOA News, Washington))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date August 2, 2022 10:35 EDT
- Byline Liliya Anisimova
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America