Russia pass law to brand media ‘foreign agents’ after US clamps down on Putin-backed RT

Putin signed the amendments in retaliation to the US Government ordering Russian TV network Russia Today (RT) to register its American under Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), according to Russian officials.

The move had earlier been described as an “attack on freedom of speech” by Putin.

RT has claimed it is being forced out of the US media market.

Under the new law, media outlets that receive financial assistance from foreign states or organisations may be recognised as foreign agents.

Russia’s Justice Ministry will make the decisions on which outlets will be classified as “foreign agents”.

The law now implies that media outlets classified as foreign agents will be made to publish a notice that their materials are provided by a foreign agent, report on their activities, submit information about the composition of their management and provide expense reports.

The Russian Justice Ministry has previously said that it had told Voice of America, the Current Time broadcaster, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and others that they may be included in the foreign agents list.

A Kremlin spokesman has stated that any violations against Russian journalists “shall not remain unanswered”.

Last month, Vladimir Putin threatened to hit back if the US tried to crackdown on its media outlets in the country.

The Russian President said: “In this case we will do it only in kind and quite quickly.

“As soon as we see concrete steps limiting the activities of our mass media, a tit-for-tat response will follow immediately.”

News of the new law has come after claims Russia interfered in the US presidential election and repeated allegations of ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s campaign team.

Russia has repeatedly denied US intelligence agencies’ conclusions that Moscow meddled in the election.

Donald Trump has also denied any collusion between his campaign and Russian officials.

Committees in both the Senate and the House are investigating as is a special counsel, former FBI director Robert Mueller.

The probes have cast a shadow over Mr Trump’s presidency, especially after Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey was fired by President Trump in May.

In an interview with NBC after the FBI Director’s removal, President Trump admitted that he was thinking about “this Russia thing” when he decided to fire Director Comey.