MOSCOW, Russia: U.S.-backed broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has been fined $325,000 by Russia for not deleting what Moscow calls “fake news” in reporting the invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Russian Interfax news agency, Radio Liberty refused to delete reports that included the number of Ukrainian and Russian military deaths, “as well as extremist statements about Russians.”
In March, RFE/RL, which also runs a news website, said it was suspending operations in Russia after it was declared bankrupt and police pressure against its journalists intensified.
It has also been issued numerous fines in recent months.
A hearing on its appeal against the bankruptcy ruling is scheduled for this week.
According to RFE/RL, it had been targeted for reporting the truth, but it still plans to continue reporting on Russia from outside the country.
Since invading Ukraine in February, Russia has passed legislation that could see journalists receive prison terms of up to 15 years for publishing reports that contradict Moscow’s account of the war.
Moscow, which calls its actions a ‘special military operation” and not a war or invasion, said the laws were necessary to thwart a Western attempt to use Ukraine to threaten Russia, as well as to protect the Russian-speak population in Ukraine from persecution.
Further, Moscow has warned that unless the treatment of Russian journalists in the U.S. improves, U.S. news organizations could be stripped of their accreditations.
Russia’s ambassador was also summoned by Italy to protest Russian criticism of Italian media coverage of the war.
