The United States on Saturday condemned a new law in Russia that threatens jail terms of up to 15 years for spreading what the Kremlin calls "fake news," and urged continued action across sectors to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.
"We condemn the move by the Russian Federation Council to approve a law threatening prison sentences of up to 15 years for journalists," White House National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement.
Reuters reports the new Russian law makes it illegal to report any event that could discredit the country's military.
Meanwhile, Italian state broadcaster RAI said on Saturday it was suspending operations in Russia to "protect the safety" of its reporters after Moscow introduced a law threatening prison terms of up to 15 years for spreading what the government terms fake news, according to Reuters.
Germany's top public broadcasters ARD and ZDF also said on Saturday they had suspended coverage out of their respective Moscow studios "for the time being".
They joined a growing number of international media companies, including Britain's BBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Company and Bloomberg News, to halt reporting in Russia. read more
"This measure is necessary in order to protect the safety of journalists on the spot and (ensure) maximum freedom of information about the country," RAI said in a statement.
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