Putin signs stricter law on slandering fighters
Legal protection of information about the armed forces now also extends to volunteers
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed amendments into law imposing harsher punishments for disinformation about the Russian military. The legislation, which was approved by lawmakers earlier this month, expands the law’s coverage to volunteer fighters.
Previously, legal protection against slander and disinformation covered only the official armed forces. The new measure includes “volunteer battalions, organizations or individuals assisting the completion of tasks, set before the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”
The punishment for an offense can range from fines of 100,000 rubles ($1300) to 1.5 million…
