OSCE Representative Concerned About Impact Of Coronavirus Law On Media Work In Russia

OSCE Representative Concerned About Impact of Coronavirus Law on Media Work in Russia

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st April, 2020) OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir said Tuesday he was concerned about the impact of the coronavirus response law on the work of media in Russia.

Russia's State Duma at its plenary meeting earlier Tuesday adopted laws on criminal and administrative responsibility for disseminating deliberately false information about the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), to now be punished with big fines or imprisonment.

"I share the concern of the Russian Duma to combat the dissemination of false information related to the current health crisis.

However, the amendments to the Code of Administrative offense and to the Criminal Code, as envisaged, pose a risk of undue restriction on the work of journalists and of self-censorship for media actors trying to inform the public," Desir said as quoted in a statement on the OSCE website.

"The media and independent journalists have an important role to play in the fight against disinformation, especially online, and they should not be unduly restrained in their reporting on the pandemic," he said.